


I Went To Korea and All I Got Was This Best Friend

by Jazzy_Rawr



Category: SHINee, Supernatural, destiel - Fandom
Genre: Brotp, Dean'spornbutt, Jonghyun - Freeform, Joon - Freeform, K-Pop - Freeform, Key, LuNa - Freeform, Onew - Freeform, SHINee - Freeform, Supernatural - Freeform, ace!cas, f(x) - Freeform, mblaq - Freeform, minho - Freeform, pan!Dean, taemin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-06
Updated: 2015-10-06
Packaged: 2018-04-25 04:46:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 61,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4947265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jazzy_Rawr/pseuds/Jazzy_Rawr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Both Dean and Cas enter the American auditions for K-Pop Star, and despite Dean hating Cas on sight, and Cas struggling to accept his asexuality, they forge a friendship that will carry them through the competition.<br/>Non-romantic pairing, but lots of friendship fluff and music.<br/>Art for this Fic;http://pumkindean.tumblr.com/post/130598368848/i-went-to-korea-and-all-i-got-was-this-best-friend<br/>Honey was an amazing artist to work with, I loved meeting her so much, and finding someone who understands my odd mix of obsessions just made it even more incredible!<br/>All the love for Honey!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hallelujah-Kim Jonghyun

**Author's Note:**

> This is a non-romantic pairing.  
> WARNING  
> This fic contains graphic description of panic attacks, and mentions of past abuse, both physical and emotional. if these things are trigger for you, please click the back button now.  
> As this fic contains and talks about a lot of music, I created a playlist to go with it, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFpgBVa2Hql5ez_RzJm0tKQ4VmKyvzSTX

Hallelujah

 

Dean awoke with a start when his bedroom door flung open; he bolted straight up in his bed as his younger siblings barreled into the room.  
Jo ripped the blankets from the bed, while Sam seized Dean and tried to drag him from his prone position. Dean stared in confusion clutching a pillow defensively.  
“Today’s the day! Your suitcase is packed and in the truck, we have to leave in an hour, and Ellen has breakfast waiting for us.”  
Dean stared at his clearly excited siblings blankly.  
“The hell are you talking about Sammy?”  
Sam and Jo shared a look before sighing heavily; Sam unfolded a piece of paper from his back pocket and shoved it under Dean’s nose.  
“Not this audition crap again Sammy. I told you no.”  
“And Jo and I said yes. Now get up.”  
Dean rolled his eyes and sighed before climbing out of bed and glaring at his younger brother.  
“After breakfast I’m going back to bed. I told you I’m taking that football scholarship. That’s a guarantee. This audition is just a shot in the dark.”  
Sam rolled his eyes as Jo made agreeing noises and began to usher him down the stairs.  
Dean willingly followed his nose into the large kitchen where Ellen reigned supreme, waiting in front of his seat was a plate loaded down with pancakes and bacon, and a mug of coffee, made just the way he liked it. Chick creamer and all.  
“Ellen, you are amazing, and I will kick the ass of anyone who says different.”  
Ellen brushed a kiss across the top of Dean’s head before sitting opposite to him.  
“Dean, Bobby and I want you to know, that we’re going to be proud of you no matter what. If you take the football scholarship; if you go to this audition, no matter what. But I think we all know you don’t love football the way you love music.”  
Dean sighed and stared into his mug, as if the creamer could spell out the answer to his dilemma.  
“I suppose it can’t hurt to try.”  
Jo cheered and threw her arms around his neck.  
“After the audition we’ll go get mani/pedi’s and I’ll tell all the guys you lost a bet. Deal?”  
Dean smiled at his younger sister, and nodded.  
Sam wolfed down the last bite on his plate.  
“Okay time to load up, it’s a long drive to Austin.”  
The three teenagers filed out into the dark yard and clambered up into an old work truck, before pointing it down the highway, chasing down a dream.  
Dean had fallen asleep with his head against the door of the truck, and Jo’s head on his shoulder, and Sam grinned at his siblings as he turned into the parking lot of the hotel, and slid the truck into a parking spot.  
Sam leaned his head against the truck seat, and smiled at his siblings. He smoothed the flier for the audition out on the dash and smiled at the bright colors proclaiming the American series of auditions for the upcoming season of K-Pp star. He turned to look at Dean and felt hope tug at his chest.  
Few things made Dean happy. He played football, because it made Bobby happy, not because he loved it. He worked hard at school to please Ellen, not for any real love of it. He worked on the ranch because it was necessary. But K-Pop that he loved.  
When Sam had first seen the flier for the Austin auditions, he immediately found himself thinking that here was a chance for Dean to do what he loved. To be himself. But when he had shown Dean the flier, Dean had simply glanced at the flier and shoved it back in Sam’s hands. Sam could see Dean’s life laid out in front of him.  
Football scholarship to the University of Texas.  
Study biology.  
Work on the ranch.  
Settle down with a nice local girl.  
Have a few children.  
Grow old on the Ranch just like Ellen and Bobby.  
But in all this life laid out in front of Dean there was something that Sam couldn’t see. Real happiness.  
The way Sam figured it, this audition was Dean’s shot at real, incandescent happiness.  
Dean stirred at the lack of motion in the vehicle and blinked at Sam.  
“We here Sammy?”  
Sam nodded and Dean shook Jo gently, Jo stirred brushing her hair out of her face.  
“Hi.”  
Jo murmured blinking in the early morning sunlight.  
“Hey there, we’re at the hotel; why don’t we go check in and you can go back to sleep?”  
Jo nodded sleepily, and when she stumbled a little climbing from the truck, Dean crouched and allowed her to hop on her back.  
Jo leaned against Dean’s shoulder, Sam grabbed the bags, and the three made their way into the hotel lobby.  
The lobby was papered with fliers for the upcoming audition, and Sam grinned at the way Dean went pale, he noticeably took a deep breath, and made his way to a bench where he could sit Jo down while Sam checked in.  
Sam loped back over to Dean and Jo,  
“So good news and bad news. They have a room, and they’re close to the audition site, but two beds and a pull out sofa is the best I can do.”  
Dean nodded, shrugging Jo back into her spot on his back.  
“That’s fine I’ll crash on the sofa.”  
Sam rolled his eyes and held up the room key.  
Dean nodded and followed Sam to the elevator and the room.  
Dean laid Jo down on the nearest bed, and gently pulled a blanket up to her shoulders, he smiled down at his sleeping sister for a moment before turning to Sam.  
“Okay so tell me how this all works Sammy.”  
Sam dug around in his bag for a moment before pulling out some printed pages and handing them over quietly.  
Dean scanned the pages before looking at Sam with a terrified expression  
“I have to dance?”  
He whispered fiercely, and got no sympathy from Sam.  
“Like we haven’t all seen you dancing out in the fields. You’ll be fine Dean, you’re talented.”  
Dean huffed,  
“There’s a huge difference between goofing around in the fields, and the kind of choreography these routines require Sammy. I haven’t learned one, and I sure as hell can’t throw one together on the fly.”  
Sam sighed heavily.  
“What about that song, by Jong something or other?”  
Dean stared at him in amazement for a moment, he had no clue that anybody had ever actually paid attention to his K-Pop obsession.  
“Hallelujah? It might have just enough choreo to work.”  
Sam smiled and clapped Dean on the shoulder.  
“I even packed your leather pants.”  
Dean rolled his eyes before stopping mid roll and turning to stare at Sam.  
“I don’t own leather pants.”  
Sam just grinned and wandered off to set up the fold out couch.


	2. Paradise Lost- GaIn

Paradise Lost

Castiel was standing on the platform waiting for the metro, ear buds in and music blaring. All around Castiel was blank space, as people cut him a wide berth.  
Not that it bothered him Castiel knew how he looked, knew the effect it had on people around him. The pink hair and punk clothes seemed to scare people off.  
Cas boarded the train and slumped against a pole, closing his eyes and running through his dance routine in his head. Castiel spread out the flier for the audition and grinned. This audition was his last chance. If he didn’t make it, if a job didn’t come out of it, he was going to Columbia to study business, and the rest of his life was a long stretch of conformity, and meetings. He needed this to work like he needed air.  
The train lurched to a stop and Castiel rebounded off the pole with the grace of an old pro, and he stepped onto the train platform, and spun on the ball of his foot, before striding up the stairs and into the sunlight at ground level.  
Cas walked a couple of blocks to the convention center where the audition was being held, and joined the line leading up to the sign in desk.  
When he reached the desk a woman smiled at him and handed him a simple form. A minute later Cas handed the form back along with a single track cd, and pinned the number she handed him to his shirt.  
Cas made his way to the staging area, and flopped to the carpet before he started stretching, and humming his song under his breath.  
It was almost two hours later when Castiel’s number was called, and he made his way into a dark room, and stood at the marker on a temporary wood floor.  
“Name?”  
Asked the woman seated in the center in a cool, bored voice.  
“Castiel Novak.”  
The woman nodded and made a mark on list stretching in front of her. The gentleman asked a question in brisk Korean, and the woman, clearly an interpreter, turned back to Cas and repeated the question in her cool bored English.  
“Your song choice is very risky, why did you select this song?”  
Cas thought for a moment before responding.  
“Because I am not Asian. If I want to garner and keep attention, enough to have a chance in this competition, then I am going to have to take risks.”  
The woman translated his response, and the man nodded with an appraising look and gestured for Cas to take his mark for the routine.  
The opening bars of Paradise Lost began playing, and Cas slithered his way to the floor, popping his hip in time with the sensual beat. Cas lost himself in the song, in the lyrics and the movements, until it felt like he was just another wavelength in the melody.  
When the music cut it was an almost physical pain, and Cas blinked for a moment before coming back to himself in the situation.  
The room was silent.  
Cas tried to take subtle deep breaths, to calm his racing heart without appearing scared. He reassured himself that if he had it to do over, he would do it the exact same way all over again.  
The room was silent a moment longer, before Cas heard the click-clack of heels and turned to the assistant walking towards him. She handed him a pink colored sheet of paper without a word, and Cas inclined his head respectfully to the judging panel, and stepped from the room before reading the paper in his hands.  
Vocal Auditions  
Round Two  
Our judges have invited you to attend a vocal audition before they make their final decision.  
Please follow the pink arrows to the audition location.  
Thank you for your participation.  
Cas grinned down at the flier, and searched the hallway locating the path of pink arrows on the wall, and following them to another sign in location. Cas handed his pink flier to the smiling girl behind the check in table.  
“Congratulations!”  
The girl smiled and handed him a pink sticker to put on his number tag, and recorded his number in the log.  
“Please review this sheet music, it is the song you’ll be asked to sing. Good luck.”  
Cas nodded respectfully before looking down at the sheet music in his hand, and began to tap his thumb against his thigh in the rhythm of the piece.  
Cas found a spot against the wall and settled down with the sheet music, singing softly under his breath to himself.  
When his number was called Cas couldn’t tell you if he’d been there ten minutes or two hours.  
He rose easily to his feet and walked into the small room, and stood on his mark in front of another judging panel.  
“When you are ready please.”  
A man spoke in heavily accented English, and started a metronome at the corner of the table.  
Cas closed his eyes and tapped his finger against his thigh in time to the metronome for a moment before opening them and, taking a deep breath and starting the song.  
“Sikkeuro deutgijocha shireo nunmuri mareudorok biro…”  
About a minute later the metronome stopped and Cas was called to a halt. One again Cas found himself standing in a silent room, waiting for some sign, either positive or negative about his singing.  
Once again an assistant approached him and handed him a piece of paper. Cas inclined his head respectfully, and exited the room before looking down at the white sheet of paper he was crumpling in his hand.  
Congratulations!  
You have been selected to move on the final American audition in New York!  
The final audition will begin July 10 at 9:00 am  
Please see our travel coordinator to receive information on your travel and accommodations.  
We look forward to continuing this exciting process with you.

Cas felt a huge grin break over his face, and barely had the presence of mind to keep from dancing an impromptu, and what was sure to be a less than graceful, jig.  
He followed the white arrows on the wall, and found a group of women at computers busily working to find plane and train tickets, and reserving blocks of hotel rooms. Cas walked up to the desk and handed the first woman his white paper and received a kind smile in return.  
“Congratulations! Well here is your train ticket, and your hotel room voucher. Here is our rules packet, and your audition pass. Good luck.”  
Cas was silent as pages and packets were shoved into his hands, and before he could even open his mouth to say thank you the woman was off again in a flurry of motion, and Cas just smiled before putting everything she had given him into his messenger bag and making his way out in the late afternoon sun.


	3. Deja Boo-Kim Jonghyun

Deja Boo

Dean woke up in the late afternoon, and stretched on the bed, finding himself surrounded by the whispers of his younger siblings.  
“Hey guys, did I miss something?”  
Sam and Jo both turned to him with wide grins.  
“No just deciding on dinner. Jo wants pizza and I want Mexican. You get the deciding vote.”  
Dean groaned.  
“Why do you two always do this to me? You know I don’t care and I hate choosing between you.”  
Sam and Jo just laughed, before Jo raised her hands in defeat.  
“Okay, I give, let me offer a truce in the form of burgers and pie from the diner around the corner.”  
Sam laughed at how Dean’s face lit up at the mention of pie, and nodded laughing.  
Ten minutes later the siblings were settled into a cracked vinyl booth with tall glasses of sweet tea, and burgers on the way.  
“So we need to be at the convention center around 7:30 tomorrow morning, you need to be dressed and ready to go by 6:45.”  
“So we’re doing this totally on a whim, no planning went into it at all?”  
Sam nodded with a grin on his face,  
“Something like that.”  
Dean grinned at Sam and shook his head.  
“You’re so full of it, exactly how did I get talked into this.”  
Sam rolled his eyes.  
“Like this wasn’t what you wanted.”  
The arrival of the burgers saved Dean from having to come up with a witty response. The table was quiet while the siblings ate their dinner.  
“So leather pants?”  
Dean asked Sam between bites.  
“Well you can’t do this audition in jeans and flannel dude. You have to make an impression. Besides it was Jo who picked them out.”  
Dean glared at Jo fiercely,  
“Of course it was.”  
Jo shrugged with the nonchalance of the adored baby sister,  
“You have an ass, use it.”  
Dean choked on the tea he had just taken a sip of and sputtered,  
“Thanks for those nightmares Jo.”  
Jo winked saucily at Dean,  
“Hey I don’t want to lose the coveted title of having the sexiest older brother in town.”  
Sam’s face twisted in outrage,  
“And what am I while Dean’s off being the sexy brother?”  
Jo fluttered her eyelashes at Sam,  
“You my dear brother are the dreamy nerd, that makes bad girls want to be good, and good girls think naughty thoughts.”  
Sam beamed,  
“Totally better than being the sexy brother.”  
Dean threw French fries at Sam and Jo groaning.  
“For that Jo, you spring for the pie.”  
Jo laughed and nodded,  
“Apple?”  
“Duh. With ice cream.”  
Jo laughed and made her way to the counter, chatted with the woman behind the counter for a couple of minutes before making her way back and sliding into the booth with an evil grin.  
“What did you do Jo?”  
Jo flashed a grin and went back to munching on fries.  
Dean just shook his head, and resigned himself.  
About five minutes later the wait staff of the diner approached the table, with an apple pie stabbed with sparklers. The pie was slid onto the table and the waitress in the lead smiled at Dean.  
“We want to wish you luck on your big audition Sweetie. Break a leg.”  
Dean smiled with good grace.  
“Thank you Ma’am.”  
Another waitress slid a container of ice cream on the table, and began passing out plates.  
Soon everyone at the table had been served large wedges of pie and huge scoops of ice cream, and the waitresses were lingering laughing and joking with the three siblings.  
It was almost midnight when Sam, Dean, and Jo, made their way back to their hotel room, full of good food and cheer. Dean forced himself to lay down and sleep rather than obsessively prepare for an audition he knew basically nothing about.  
As Dean settled down against his pillow he felt the first swell of hope bloom in his chest.  
The alarm went off early the next morning, and the siblings groaned as they rolled out of bed.  
“Okay so we have an hour before we have to walk out of this room, so Dean shower, now.”  
Dean nodded and stumbled towards the bathroom, cranking up the hot water, and rushing through a shower, he came out of the bathroom with a towel slung around his waist, and rubbing another one vigorously over his hair.  
“Your turn Jo.”  
Jo glared from the warmth of her bed before stumbling to the bathroom and leaving Dean with Sam.  
“So according to Jo to get into these pants, your skin has to be completely dry and baby powder will be required.”  
Dean looked at the pants dubiously,  
“Can’t I just wear my jeans?”  
Sam grinned,  
“According to Jo, not if you want to live.”  
Dean groaned and began to dry off.  
It took fifteen minutes of baby powder and cursing, but finally Dean was buttoning up the leather pants, and he had to admit, at least to himself, that they weren’t too bad. He had far more motion than he thought he would, and they did look good on him.  
“So is this the extent of Jo’s meddling?”  
He had no sooner finished the question then Jo emerged from the bathroom, and laughed,  
“Oh you wish.”  
Dean stared at Jo in disbelief,  
“How come you get to wear jeans and a band shirt?”  
“Because brother dear, I am not auditioning for anything.”  
Dean stuck his tongue out at Jo before sighing and admitting defeat.  
“Now what, oh great guru of asses?”  
Jo slapped Dean on the bicep and laughed before handing him a plain white v-neck t-shirt.  
Dean pretended to flinch at Jo’s slap before accepting the t-shirt and shrugging into it.  
“Am I going barefoot?”  
Dean grumbled sincerely hoping the answer wasn’t yes.  
Sam dug into the bottom of his military style sea bag and produced a pair of Docs.  
“Gift from Bobby.”  
Dean stared at the boots in shock. He had made no secret of wanting them but Bobby always said that fancy boots you couldn’t work in were nothing worth spending money on.  
“Wow.”  
Dean breathed over come with emotions, before pulling on a pair of socks and sitting down to pull on the boots.  
“Bobby and Ellen actually think I have a shot don’t they.”  
Jo wrapped her arms around Dean’s shoulders,  
“Of course they do, we all think you’re talented.”  
Dean chuckled humorlessly,  
“Because I look like a K-pop idol.”  
He scoffed.  
Jo smoothed a hand across his hair.  
“You do to me.”  
“I’ll be your fanboy.”  
Sam quipped smiling at Dean.  
“I’m holding you to that Dude. Signs and t-shirts, the whole nine yards.”  
Sam nodded.  
“Naturally. Now let’s get a move on, daylight’s wasting.”  
Dean nodded pulling the black cord that held his lucky pendant over his head to rest around his neck, and stood up before he froze, and turned back to Sam.  
“I don’t have music.”  
Sam pulled a single cd in a white paper sleeve and handed it to Dean. Dean stared at it in his hand for second then laughed.  
“Totally on a whim?”  
Sam nodded and he pushed Dean towards the door.  
It was seven am when the three pulled up to the convention center, and Sam began circling looking for a parking spot.  
“That’s a lot of people dude.”  
Dean’s voice was colored by insecurity.  
“Its not about the people its about the talent. You have talent, so no worries.”  
Dean shrugged and fiddled with the pendant around his neck, as Sam slotted the truck into a parking space.  
“Well let’s go then.”  
Jo grinned from the middle of the bench seat and began pushing Dean towards the door of the truck.  
Dean heaved and sigh and slid out of the truck squinting against the bright Texas sunlight.  
“Fine, fine, what’s the worst that could happen?”  
“There’s the spirit!”  
Jo cheered as she began walking towards the entry way of the convention center.

Dean allowed himself to be led, smiling a little at Jo’s over enthusiasm.  
They joined the line to sign up, and Dean tried to keep himself from chewing on his nails.  
“Just hum your song if you’re that nervous, don’t let them see you sweat.”  
Jo murmured to Dean, concerned by how nervous he looked.  
“This is a contest Dean, don’t show weakness.”  
Dean nodded imperceptibly, and schooled his features to a relaxed mask. Jo smiled and patted his hand gently.  
Soon Dean was at the front of the line and being handed a form and a number to pin to his shirt.  
“No friends and family in the staging area, we don’t have the room, we had more people than expected, sorry.”  
Dean shrugged at Sam and Jo and they nodded,  
“We’ll go find a café or something call us when you’re done.”  
Sam supplied taking Jo gently by the shoulders, and turning her towards the door before her feisty side could kick in.  
Dean nodded and proceeded past the sign in desk to find a space and start stretching.  
Dean found a relatively isolated place, and began to stretch his muscles gently. He focused on the feeling of his muscles stretching and pulling and used that to push away the nerves.  
“Its just like game day.”  
Dean muttered to himself.  
It was a little over an hour later when his number was called, he handed his cd to the assistant, before moving to the mark in the center of the temporary dance floor.  
“Name?”  
A woman asked in a cool bored voice.  
“Dean Winchester.”  
The woman marked something on a sheet of paper, and nodded.  
“When you’re ready.”  
The music started and Dean took a deep breath before launching into the choreography, and letting the lyrics breathe through him.  
In his mind he could see the back up dancers surrounding him, and he was in the moment, in the song, lost to the feeling of the music, and for a moment it was like being in the field on his family’s ranch. Just him and the music.  
The music stopped, and Dean composed himself back at the center mark, and found himself standing in a silent room.  
There was the click clack of an assistant’s shoes and Dean was handed a white sheet of paper.

Congratulations!  
You have been selected to move on the final American audition in New York!  
The final audition will begin July 10 at 9:00 am  
Please see our travel coordinator to receive information on your travel and accommodations.  
We look forward to continuing this exciting process with you.  
Dean stared at the piece of paper in shock as he made his way out of the room, he looked around at the walls and found a trail of white arrows, and followed them around the corner to a desk where a woman took his piece of paper, and recorded his number, before handing him a stack of pages and packets.  
“Here is your plane ticket, hotel voucher, list of rules, and pass into the final audition. Congratulations and good luck.”  
With that the woman seemed to tune Dean out turning back to her computer screens and muttering to herself.  
Dean found his way outside still staring at all the pages as he dialed Sam’s number on his phone.  
“Yeah I’m done…yeah right out front…okay…”  
Dean made the call on auto pilot, barely registering Sam’s end of the conversation, as he flipped through the rules packet and flight information.  
The truck pulled up the curb in front of him and Jo jumped down from the truck,  
“What happened?”  
Dean handed her the packet without a word and Jo looked down at it before jumping up and down screaming. Sam came around the truck and let Jo shove the papers into his hands, as soon as the papers were handed off Jo jumped on Dean hugging him hard.  
“Good job big bro.”  
Sam clapped Dean on the shoulder, and the trio made their way awkwardly into the truck Jo still bouncing up and down in her excitement.  
“I win the bet Sammy! To the nail salon!”  
Sam grumbled good naturedly but steered the truck towards the nail salon Jo had picked out.  
“What bet?”  
Dean asked curiously.  
“Since you got through Sammy has to go and get mani/pedi’s with us.”  
Dean laughed,  
“So you expected me to fail Sammy?”  
Sam shook his head,  
“I was humoring Jo.”  
Dean nodded sagely struggling to keep the grin off his face.  
Soon they pulled up in front of a little salon with cheerful blue awnings, and the truck slid into a parking spot.  
The three made their way inside, and a woman met them at the entryway,  
“How can we help you today?”  
“Three mani/pedi’s please.”  
Jo smiled politely, and the woman returned the smile,  
“Are we celebrating something?”  
“Yes, we’re celebrating my brother passing an audition, and taking the first step to the rest of his life.”  
The woman smiled,  
“Well that is exciting, very exciting. Congratulations.”  
Dean blushed a little under the woman’s scrutiny,  
“Thank you very much ma’am.”  
The three settled into their services, even if Sam was keeping a put upon expression on his face, it amused Jo to think that she was forcing him into something.  
“I can’t wait to tell Mom and Bobby.”  
Dean nodded distracted.  
“They’re going to be really proud of you Dean.”  
Dean smiled,  
“I think Ellen will be, I don’t know about Bobby.”  
Jo rolled her eyes, and shook her head.  
“Whatever Dean.”  
Dean shrugged it off determined to relax.


	4. Lucifer-SHINee

Lucifer  
Cas walked into his house about an hour after his curfew already steeling himself for his father’s idea of tough love. Cas made his way up the walk to what, from the outside appeared to be a beautiful, urban home.  
He stepped through the front door and toed off his sneakers hoping to make it to his room without incident, he was stopped about five feet in the door by his father with a glass of scotch in his hand.  
“You’re late.”  
Cas resisted the urge to sigh.  
“I am aware.”  
His father lurched towards him,  
“Don’t get smart with me!”  
His father slurred reaching for Cas,  
“I did leave a note informing you that I may be late tonight, depending on how long the auditions ran.”  
“I told you that your curfew stood.”  
His father hissed belligerently, and Cas nodded,  
“Yes you did, I however chose to ignore you.”  
Cas’s father seized him by the scruff of his jacket.  
“You think you get to make those decisions? This is still my roof!”  
“Yes it is, however I am an adult and this is my life. I will accept whatever punishment you deem necessary for my breach of curfew, but I will not give up on my audition.”  
“So you got through did you? Well your punishment for missing your curfew is that you’re banned from attending the second audition.”  
Cas’s father had a cruel smile on his face as he laid down the law.  
Cas was silent for a moment as he thought about the punishment, then he nodded.  
“I misspoke. I will accept almost any punishment for violating my curfew, that one however is unacceptable.”  
His father stared at him dumbstruck, and there was a moment of perfect silence before he started screaming.  
“Get out! Get the hell out of my house! You aren’t welcome here anymore!”  
Cas nodded curtly, picked up his shoes, turned, and walked out the door of his family’s home.  
He could hear his father raging all the way down the walk, and Cas was determined not to go back, to seize his freedom and keep going.  
He walked back to the metro station, and took a different train, back into D.C., and to his sister’s apartment.  
It was almost two am by the time he got to his sister’s front door, and when he raised his hand to knock he found that he couldn’t. He couldn’t put Anna through this and ask her to take him in, in the middle of the night. He settled down on her door step and leaned back into her door jamb closing his eyes, and letting sleep drift over him.  
The next morning Cas was shocked awake when the door behind him opened and he fell into her entry way at the feet of a man he had never seen before.  
Cas immediately colored,  
“My apologies I seem to have the wrong apartment.”  
Cas rose to his feet, and dusted off his jeans, he started to walk away when the guy called after him.  
“Wait! Kid! Who are you looking for?”  
“My sister Anna.”  
The guy gestured to Cas,  
“You have the right place kid, come on in.”  
Cas colored as he made his way past the man and into a room that had Anna’s unmistakable decorating flair all over it.  
Anna came out of her bedroom, and froze when she saw Cas standing in her living room.  
“Father has revoked the privilege of living in his home.”  
Anna’s face went through a range of emotions, through shock and anger, sympathy, and fury, and she finally settled on resigned.  
“Well you’re welcome to say here. What finally tipped things over the edge? Was it the hair?”  
Cas chuckled,  
“No that particular antic saw bars on my bedroom window. This is the result of missing my curfew, and refusing to bow to the assigned punishment.”  
Anna sighed and nodded,  
“What did he ask you to give up?”  
Cas chuckled humorlessly,  
“The one dream I have left.”  
Anna nodded curtly,  
“Well you’re welcome here for as long as you need.”  
Cas smiled,  
“I have to be in New York in two weeks, so I will not impose upon you for long.”  
Anna stopped on her way to the coffee machine and turned to him,  
“What’s in New York?”  
Cas smiled genuinely,  
“My second audition for the K-op Star competition.”  
Anna swept Cas into her arms,  
“Congratulations Cas!”  
Cas wrapped his arms around Anna and enjoyed her pride in him.  
“So let us discuss your gentleman caller.”  
It was Anna’s turn to flush red,  
“Lucifer meet my brother Castiel, Cas meet Lucifer.”  
Cas extended a hand to Lucifer,  
“Pleasure to meet you.”  
Lucifer shook his hand firmly.  
“Nice to meet you, Cas?”  
“Castiel.”  
Cas corrected firmly, and Anna sighed,  
“When you two are done, I’ll be making coffee and bagels.”  
Cas grinned at Anna and followed her into the kitchen,  
“Allow me Anna; it would not do for me to be a negligent house guest.”  
Anna smoothed Cas’s perpetual messy hair and smiled at Cas,  
“Thank you.”  
Cas found his way into the kitchen and set coffee on to brew and began considering his next audition.  
He moved through the kitchen on auto pilot, his mind whirring over songs and dance routines.  
Cas was humming an old SHINee favorite when Lucifer walked into the kitchen.  
“What'cha humming kid?”  
Cas turned with a wicked smile,  
“Ironically enough a song called Lucifer.”  
Lucifer grinned at him, and rubbed the back of his neck nervously,  
“I know we didn’t meet in the best way, but I love your sister and I need you not to hate me.”  
Cas shrugged,  
“I do not hate you, I simply wish for Anna to be well cared for.”  
“I take care of her kid, and I want to keep doing that for the rest of my life.”  
Cas nodded,  
“Then there is no animosity between us.”  
Cas held his hand out to Lucifer for the second time that morning, and this time the hand shake was friendly.  
Both Cas and Lucifer turned when they heard slow clapping from the doorway, they saw Anna leaning against the door jamb with a grin on her face,  
“Look at the boys getting along.”  
Lucifer went over to sweep Anna into a hug mussing her hair once he had her, while Cas rolled his eyes and began pouring coffee,  
“Lucifer how do you like your coffee?”  
Lucifer grinned at Cas,  
“Black as my soul kid.”  
Cas nodded and turned back to the counter, when Cas handed Lucifer a cup of coffee a minute or so later, Lucifer took a sip, forced himself to swallow, and quirked an eyebrow at Cas questioningly,  
“That is as dark I as expect the soul of my sister’s lover to be.”  
Cas managed to speak in a righteous tone with a perfectly straight face, before he snickered and ruined the effect.  
Lucifer saluted Cas with his mug,  
“Touché kid. Touché.  
Anna giggled before turning to Cas,  
“What did Father allow you to take.”  
Cas sighed heavily,  
“I left with only the contents of my bag, and the clothes on my back.”  
Anna nodded,  
“Well then we will have to get you some essentials, after you shower, something of Lucifer’s should fit you.”  
Cas inclined his head,  
“I would be grateful.”


	5. No No No-APink

No No No  
The siblings spent the drive back to the ranch singing K-Pop songs at the top of their lungs, with the windows rolled down, ignoring shouts from other drivers. It was late that night when the truck rolled up the bumpy drive that led to the house at the heart of the property. Bobby and Ellen were sitting on the porch swing together with cups of coffee waiting for their children to return. The truck was quiet as it pulled up the drive.  
“No matter what, right Bobby?”  
Bobby nodded gruffly,  
“Those boys are ours, family don’t end in blood.”  
Ellen squeezed his hand, and their teenagers tumbled out of the truck, and made their way to the porch.  
Dean seized Ellen in a bear hug.  
“I’m through the first round. In two weeks I go to New York for the second round.”  
Bobby clapped Dean on the shoulder,  
“Good job Boy.”  
Dean decided to forego typical masculine behavior and grabbed Bobby into a bear hug,  
“Thank you Bobby.”  
Bobby managed a gruff smile,  
“So you liked the fancy boots then?”  
Dean leaned back to look Bobby in the eyes,  
“Yes, but its more than the boots and you know it. Give in to the chick flick moment.”  
Bobby huffed but allowed himself to be hugged.  
“Well we have to make sure you’re ready, tomorrow we go and get your passport alright son?”  
Ellen asked preventing the moment from getting awkward.  
“Yes ma’am”  
Dean muttered obediently, flashing Ellen a grin.  
Ellen ushered everybody in the house,  
“Come on y’all its late, and morning is still gonna have plenty of work, y'all get off to bed now.”  
There was a round of good natured grumbling, as everyone headed inside and upstairs, and despite protests of how awake they were all three teenagers were out cold in minutes.  
The next morning alarms went off before the sun and people were dragging themselves out of bed and into jeans and work boots, and out into the fields for the before breakfast work.  
Ellen was in the kitchen serving up breakfasts when the three dragged themselves inside and flopped down at the table.  
“After breakfast we’re gonna go into town and apply for your passport and get you what you need for your trip Dean.”  
Dean colored a little.  
“You shouldn’t really spend any money until we find out if I’m going to make it through.”  
Ellen patted his head.  
“I intend to take it on faith, if you have to leave right away for Korea I don’t want you unprepared.”  
Dean nodded, and continued eating his breakfast. Ellen’s word was law, and he wasn’t about to question her word.  
Breakfast was finished as the sun was coming up, and Ellen was ushering Dean out to her truck, and steered it towards town.  
“So first we go and do the paperwork for your passport, then we shop. Those leather pants you wore yesterday were nice; perhaps you should get some more of those, along with jeans that fit.”  
Dean rolled his eyes,  
“Whatever you say Ellen. I think I may just be along for the ride.”  
Ellen swatted at his shoulder,  
“Boy, I don’t know a thing about K-Pop fashion for boys or girls, so yes your input is needed.”  
Dean nodded,  
“Yes ma’am.”  
They shared the ride in a companionable silence watching the sun rise over the fields.  
It took about an hour to arrive in town, and Ellen parked in the main lot for the town,  
“So we’ll walk, what do you think?”  
Dean nodded,  
“Sounds nice.”  
They swung out of the truck and Dean offered Ellen his arm as they made their way to the photo shop to apply for Dean’s passport.  
An hour and one really bad passport photo later and Dean and Ellen were strolling into a clothing store.  
“Go get your butt into a dressing room boy and I’ll bring you some things.”  
Dean nodded obediently and made his way to a dressing room at the back of the store.  
A few minute later an arm load of clothes were chucked over the top of the door to come falling down around Dean’s shoulders.  
“I think you may be enjoying yourself a bit too much here Ellen.”  
“Start trying those on, and I want to see them.”  
Dean sighed,  
“Yes ma’am.”  
Dean began struggling into jeans that seemed to get progressively tighter, and the tighter they got the more Ellen liked them.  
“You do know I need to be able to dance you know?”  
Ellen nodded,  
“You also need to look good while you do it.”  
Dean looked at Ellen suspiciously,  
“Are you sure you haven’t been watching K-Pop music videos?”  
Ellen simply smiled mysteriously and Dean sighed and shook his head.  
Dean started getting into the shopping experience, enjoying picking pieces and putting them together.  
About two hours later, Dean and Ellen were checking out, and Ellen was turning to him with a smile.  
“Now to the store with the leather pants, maybe we’ll get you a jacket as well.”  
“Ellen, we’ve really spent enough money.”  
“Boy you are going to let me spoil you this one time, so be quiet and say thank you.”  
Dean nodded,  
“Yes ma’am.”  
Ellen kissed him on the cheek,  
“Good boy.”  
They walked through a door and were immediately greeted by the unmistakable scent of leather. Dean inhaled and smiled at Ellen.  
“Can I get a red pair?”  
Ellen smiled gently at him,  
“Of course you can Sweetheart.”  
Dean grinned and made his way to the rack where the colored leather pants hung, pulling out a pair in a dark blood red.  
“That would be a good color for you. Go try them on.”  
Dean grinned and disappeared into the dressing room to where he proceeded to pour himself into the blood red leather. When he stepped out of the dressing room the sales girl began to fawn all over him,  
“Those are simply amazing on you, letting anyone else buy them would be a crime.”  
Ellen nodded,  
“We’ll take them.”  
Dean grinned as he studied his reflection in the mirror.  
“Now for a jacket.”  
The sales girl measured Dean and came back with several options, then she helped him shrug into and out of the jackets she brought him.  
The last one he shrugged on was a low collared black leather jacket, it was dashing and dangerous and perfect.  
“This one.”  
Dean and Ellen chimed together.  
They checked out again, and loaded all their purchases into the truck.  
“Thank you for this Ellen.”  
“Of course Dean, you know I love you as much as my own. You don’t have to question that as much as you do.”  
Dean fell quiet looking at Ellen as she drove,  
“Thank you.”  
Ellen just smiled as she continued driving back towards home.  
Dean was quiet as the truck continued to roll down the roads.  
“You’re right Ellen” he spoke quietly, “I’ve never completely felt like I belonged. Sammy sure, but he was just a baby when John ditched us, Jo was yours, but me? I always felt like I had to work to earn my place in our family and our home.”  
Ellen pulled the truck over without a word.  
“Boy you are mine, I don’t care about your blood, you are not alone, you are not on the outside, you are my family, our family. We love you and we will be proud of you whether you become an idol, or go to college on a football scholarship. Its your choice we just want you to be happy.”  
Dean swiped his hand across his eyes trying to act like he wasn’t crying.  
“Thank you Ellen.”  
Ellen nodded decisively and pulled the truck back onto the quiet road.  
“Don’t you forget it again.”  
Dean nodded quietly trying to come to terms with everything, with his whole world shifting.  
For the first time Dean didn’t feel like he was on the outside looking in.


	6. Fantastic Baby-Big Bang

Fantastic Baby

Anna had no sooner finished vocalizing her plans for the day, then she was pushing Cas towards the shower,  
“The sooner you get out of the shower the sooner we shop!”  
Cas sighed,  
“Yes, Anna. Will Lucifer be accompanying us?”  
Lucifer began edging towards the end of the couch searching for a hiding spot,  
“Of course he will, Lucifer is looking forward to getting to know my baby brother, am I right Lucifer?”  
Lucifer looked down at his disappointing coffee before nodding,  
“Sure Anna, whatever you want.”  
Cas smirked in his direction before heading off to take a shower.  
When he emerged about twenty minutes later there was a pair of black jeans and a white button up shirt waiting for him across the towel rack.  
Cas grinned at what he was sure was Lucifer’s attempt at revenge for being trapped into Anna’s plans for the day.  
Well Lucifer was going to have to work harder than that.  
Cas grimaced as he caught sight of himself in the mirror. His hair was hanging wet down around the face, and his eyes were surrounded by dark circles. Cas wrapped a towel around his waist, stuck his head out the bathroom door and called for Anna,  
“Anna, may I borrow you for a moment?”  
Anna came around the corner a second later and tried not to laugh at the pink haired drowned rat peeking out of her bathroom.  
“Yes Cas?”  
Cas glared at her suppressed laughter,  
“Might I trouble you to direct me to some make up? As well as a blow drier, and some product?”  
Anna nodded not quite trusting herself to speak.  
Cas quirked an eyebrow at her obviously waiting for her to speak,  
“Make up and product are in the medicine cabinet, blow drier is under the sink.”  
Cas tossed a ‘thank you’ over his shoulder as he disappeared back into the bathroom.  
Fifteen minutes later Cas deemed himself presentable, and emerged into the living room.  
Lucifer sighed when he saw Cas in his clothes, he had hoped to get a little revenge by making the boy feel out of place in clothes far more conservative than he was comfortable with. Cas rose the occasion; styling his violently pink hair in a conservative way, leaving a button open at the neck of the shirt, and rolling the sleeves up to his elbows, Cas looked more like someone ready for a photo shoot than someone wearing borrowed clothes.  
“You wearing make up kid?”  
Cas arched an eyebrow at Lucifer,  
“Yes I am, is that going to be an issue?”  
Lucifer shook his head,  
“Nah, it works for you.”  
Cas smirked confidently,  
“Thank you for the loan of the clothes, I quite like this fabric.”  
Lucifer grinned cockily,  
“Don’t get too attached.”  
Cas flung himself elegantly onto the arm chair,  
“Naturally not.”  
Anna came out of her bedroom as Cas finished speaking ending the casual game of one-up-man-ship the boys had been playing.  
Anna rested a hand against the back of the couch as she slid on her pumps, she looked appraisingly at Cas and Lucifer, before tucking her clutch under her arm, and gestured wordlessly towards the door. Cas rose and elegantly offered Anna his arm, leaving Lucifer to bring up the rear alone.  
When the group made it to the street, Lucifer stepped forward and imperiously held a hand in the air, flagging down a passing taxi.  
Anna leaned into the window and whispered the destination into the drivers ear before accepting Lucifer’s hand down into the cab.  
“Anna that dress you are wearing is fabulous, wherever did you find it?”  
Anna smiled at Cas and smoothed a hand down the skirt of her dress,  
“Its from “Fallen” my new line .”  
Cas quirked an eyebrow at his sister,  
“I wasn’t aware you had made your debut. It appears as though you’ve been remiss Sister.”  
Anna winced a little.  
“I told Father. He assured me you had received the invitation to my debut. I am sorry Castiel.”  
Cas waved a hand and winked playfully at his sister.  
“Well we shall have no more of that man coming between us. Yes?”  
Anna embraced Cas in an awkward one armed hug by way of answer.  
“This look works for you Brother Dear.”  
Cas smirked,  
“I was a bit apprehensive, but I have come to quite enjoy it. Perhaps a reevaluation of my signature style is needed.”  
Lucifer rolled his eyes.  
“I designed those, I can make anyone look good.”  
Cas smirked,  
“They are wonderful clothes, but I wear them they do not wear me. Perhaps, though, you should dress me. We could be wonderfully symbiotic.”  
Lucifer snorted inelegantly.  
Anna turned to him eagerly.  
“Think about it Lucifer. If Cas were to do well in the competition, wearing only your designs, he could make your brand international.”  
Lucifer opened his mouth obviously about to retort sarcastically, before closing it and studying Cas in his clothes again.  
“I suppose there could be benefits. We are already heading to the boutique I assume.”  
Anna winked before settling back to enjoy the sights on D.C. around them.  
It was almost fifteen minutes later when the taxi pulled up in front of an upscale boutique, and Lucifer led the trio inside.  
“Good morning Sir.”  
Chorused the ridiculously attractive staff inside the boutique.  
Lucifer gestured imperiously to Cas.  
“Dress him.”  
That was evidently all it took as seconds later Cas was being ushered into an opulent dressing room as measuring tapes were being held up against him and compliments on his frame and pink hair were swirling around him.  
Soon it was just Cas in the dressing room and the silence was almost deafening.  
He fidgeted awkwardly alone in the dressing room for almost five minutes before there was a quiet tap in the door.  
Cas opened to the door to see the doorway filled by a large man who held himself with an elegance that seemed almost contradictory to his size who held a somewhat giant handful of hangers.  
“Hello my name’s Benny, and I’ll be dressing you today.”  
“Castiel.”  
Benny nodded and hung the clothes on three separate pegs in the room.  
“So let’s talk style. Lucifer’s line is mostly more conservative. But I have brought some edgier pieces you can mix and match.”  
“I am in your hands Benny.”  
“My favorite kind of customer.”  
Benny drawled.  
Everything after that went almost too fast for Cas to follow, he felt almost like a living doll in the hands of an overly energetic five year old, but he had to admit that the wardrobe put together for him was classy and stylish with just the right amount of edge.  
Two hours later Benny deemed Cas suitably outfitted.  
“Thank you, you are truly gifted.”  
Benny shook Cas’s hand.  
“Good luck with the competition, make sure you tell all the celebrities who dressed you, as well as who designed the clothes.”  
Cas winked cheekily at Benny before dressing in one of his new outfits, smoothing his hair back into place, and emerged into the main salon.  
Lucifer and Anna looked him up and down,  
“Well it seems Benny really does know the work, despite the accent.”  
Cas rolled his eyes at Lucifer’s assumed snobbery.  
“Ready to go to the next store Cas?”  
Cas nodded.  
“Yes I do need some athletic wear, and sleep clothes.”  
Anna nodded.  
“Yes you do, but that’s not next, we will get to that later.”  
Cas raised an eyebrow at his sister.  
“Whatever you say Anna.”  
The trio entered a new cab, and seven minutes later were arriving in front of a more obviously trendy boutique. Anna walked up to the door and met a Korean woman standing there.  
“Channing!”  
“Anna!”  
The two women embraced with sincere affection.  
“Thank you for doing this at such short notice Channing.”  
Channing pressed Anna’s hand between hers.  
“Anything for you darling. Especially after that prom dress you designed for my sister. She was the belle of the ball.”  
Anna scoffed self deprecatingly,  
“She would have been the belle of the ball in gunnysack. She was a delight to design for, and her subtle name dropping has brought me a number of commissons.”  
Channing turned to Cas and Lucifer.  
“Luci, how are you?”  
Lucifer rolled his eyes, but Cas thought he could seen genuine affection under the annoyance.”  
“I am well Channing, and yourself?”  
Lucifer bent to kiss Channing on either cheek, but instead of light delicate kisses convention dictated, he gave each cheek a huge wet smack, earning himself a playful swat to the shoulder. Soon after Channing turned to Cas.  
“You must be Castiel. I’ve heard so much about you.”  
Cas extended a hand courteously.  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you ma’am.”  
Channing pulled him in to gently kiss each cheek, and Cas a bit shocked returned the gesture.  
“Well come inside and let’s get you set, shall we.”  
By way of answer Cas offered Channing his arm gallantly.  
Channing led him into a brightly colored show room and settled him on a plush ottoman in front of a large mirror.  
“So I am going to bring some accessories, hats, scarves, jewelry, and we’ll define a style that works for you.”  
“I trust your judgment.”  
Channing grinned down happily, before moving around the show room gathering up a basket of pieces.  
The next hour passed in a flurry of pieces as Channing and Cas zoned in on a steam punk style coupled with some modern pieces to keep the look from being dated.  
As Anna ushered him out of the boutique a top hat Cas has been taken with was firmly perched on top of his bright pink head.  
They pulled up in front of another store and Cas quirked an eyebrow at Anna.  
“Shoes. They already have some pulled we just need to approve them.”  
“Exactly how many prom dresses have you designed Anna?”  
Anna waved a dismissive hand.  
“Only the one. I did the owner’s wife’s wedding dress.”  
Cas shook his head.  
“D.C. where favors are currency.”  
The trip to the shoe store was relatively quick, with only a few changes being made to the selection Cas was offered.  
When they emerged into the sunlight again Cas caught Anna’s elbow.  
“Could we stop for lunch before the next stop?”  
Anna shook her head.  
“No we’re on a bit of a time table, but after the next stop we won’t be and we’ll get lunch then.”  
Cas nodded cooperatively, and slid into the taxi.  
The group pulled up outside of an athletic boutique in a very upscale area and Cas looked at Anna curiously.  
“Quinceanera gown.”  
Anna answered before the question could be asked.  
Cas nodded and slid out of the car.  
When he walked in the boutique Cas was met enthusiastically by a small hyper man speaking rapidly and switching in a syllable from English to Spanish. Finally Cas was able to make out a sentence.  
“You are to dance yes?”  
“Yes Sir.”  
The man nodded enthusiastically and led Cas to a hanging rack of athletic clothes with his name on it. Even Anna’s eyes bugged out.  
“Javier, that’s far too much.”  
Javier waved away her words enthusiastically.  
“Anna, mi bonita, my girls loved their gowns so, if this small gesture is all you ask in exchange for my hijas happiness I will happily do it.”  
Anna sighed realizing she was getting no where with her protestations.  
“Muchas gracias Javier.”  
Javier beamed when he realized he had gotten his way and encouraged Cas to flip through the rack.  
“Anything else you need you just tell me. Don’t be polite.”  
The rack was carefully chosen for a dancer, light fabrics and designs that wouldn’t hamper movement.  
“This is wonderful, I can’t imagine needing anything else. I will sing your designs’ praises from roof tops.”  
Javier beamed, if possibly, even brighter.  
“You are very kind.”  
Javier waved to an assistant to begin packing up all of the items in the rack making impulsive additions despite protests.  
Finally the rack was packed and delivery arranged, and the trio made their way into the sunlight once more.  
Their restaurant was a stroll away so the three took advantage of the beautiful weather to walk the distance.  
When they arrived the woman behind the hostess’s podium took one look at Anna and spoke quickly into her earpiece before stepping around the podium.  
“Ms. Novak, it’s a pleasure to have you dining with us.”  
“Thank you.”  
Anna smiled graciously, which turned into a genuine grin when the owner came out of the office.  
“Anna!”  
“Hello Rachel.”  
Anna smiled as she embraced the woman.  
The owner led Anna, Lucifer, and Cas to a secluded corner booth and handed around menus.  
Cas’s mouth watered at the menu descriptions, and he decided he was going to order the biggest steak on the menu.  
The lunch passed in a blur of conversation and amazing food, and Cas’s mind was turned inwards, to the competition, and to his father. Cas mused as he ate, turning the situation over and over in his mind. It seemed almost surreal that he was sitting here eating lunch with Anna and her beau. When Anna had moved out a few years earlier to attend design school, their father had not hesitated to show what he thought of his daughter abandoning the family. He banned Cas from having any contact with her, in fact the only reason he knew her address was because he found an empty envelope containing a letter from her in the trash one day. It was hard to believe that the sister he had believed to abandon him to his father, was now here, moving the world to give him his best shot at his dream. Cas was overwhelmed, and overjoyed, and frankly exhausted, but the sight of Anna's animated smile, and the sound of her laughter that he had almost forgotten, made all of the events the day before worth it, even if he never stepped a single designer shoe on Korean soil.  
Almost before he realized the plates were being cleared and Rachel approached the table as Anna fished around for her credit card.  
“Now Anna you know your money is no good here. I’m just glad you and your guests enjoyed your lunch.”  
Anna sighed at what was becoming a theme for the day, before thanking Rachel and ushering Cas and Lucifer out of the booth.  
“Two more stops than home.”  
Cas smiled at Anna,  
“You’ve been very successful as a designer haven’t you?”  
Anna shrugged,  
“I’ve been fortunate to meet and make friends with the right people. Sometimes we do each other favors.”  
Cas shook his head and hailed yet another taxi.  
“Well at least you allowed me sustenance.”  
“There’s the spirit.”  
Anna grinned and tapped Cas’s hat lower on his head, and Cas chuckled delighted at his sister’s company.  
The next store specialized in sleep and lounge wear and there was a rack waiting for Cas in the back of the store.  
“I think that your friends are beginning to catch on to our activities for the day Anna.”  
Cas remarked drily as he thumbed through the rack.  
Anna blushed all the way to the roots of her blood red hair.  
“Well Channing called Benny to get all your sizes then called a few mutual friends. I got a list texted to me accompanied by a mild threat.”  
Cas stared at his sister in shock,  
“Anna no one has ever been able to threaten you, not even Father.”  
Anna looked at the ground sheepishly,  
“Well Channing is different. Channing commands and we do, no one really knows why.”  
Cas shook his head and continued rifling through the selection, before whispering to Lucifer who was standing next to him ostensibly checking out the competition and not shopping for himself.  
“I am unsure of what to do here. This selection is far more that sufficient, it is in fact bordering on ostentatious, but how do I convey that without being rude?”  
Cas whispered to Lucifer disliking the show of vulnerability, but not willing to tarnish Anna’s reputation.  
”Kid, this would be considered barely covering the essentials, this guy is actually displaying a certain level of contempt for Anna.”  
Cas blinked,  
“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”  
Lucifer sighed,  
“Well this shop is run by a pair of guys, life partners. One has been really good friends with Anna since design school, and the other is jealous, but won’t openly scorn their relationship, so he does shit like this.”  
Cas nodded suddenly understanding,  
“What do we do?”  
Lucifer winked,  
“Watch this kid.”  
Lucifer turned from the rack and sniffed contemptuously,  
“Well Anna this will do, as long as Cas can do laundry fairly frequently.”  
Anna turned from a conversation with a man, who stepped over and flicked through the rack,  
“My apologies Anna, we will have this rectified momentarily.”  
The man stormed away, and had a heated conversation with another man dressed in pink and black, before a sales girl came over to add items to the rack.  
Lucifer winked at Cas before going to console Anna about being snubbed.  
“Masterful.”  
Cas murmured to himself before turning to peruse the new items added to the rack.  
By the time the trio left the boutique, the rack had bulged with a selection even Lucifer was forced to admit came close to ostentatious.  
Cas now understood why the fabulously wealthy were obsessed with health crazes, shopping non stop was tiring. He was beginning to droop and think longingly of Anna’s couch.  
“Last stop Cas I promise, then we rest.”  
Cas nodded determined to keep a game face on.  
“What’s left?”  
Anna looked at him curiously.  
“Luggage of course. Anything you need off the rack we can get another day.”  
Cas nodded and followed Anna obediently to a small eclectic luggage store wedged into a space that could generously be described as an upscale alley.  
“Anna!”  
The doors were flung open, and girl with dark hair stepped through.  
“Ruby.”  
Anna grinned and kissed both of the woman’s cheeks before introducing Cas.  
Cas had no desire to get that close to Ruby, so he bowed gallantly over her offered hand and kissed its back lightly.  
“Oooh he has such pretty manners, can I keep him?”  
Anna chuckled,  
“Hush Ruby.”  
Ruby pouted as she ushered the group into the store,  
“But Anna you already have Lucifer, you can’t have both.”  
Anna smirked,  
“Of course I can.”  
Ruby stuck her tongue out at Anna and led them to a selection of tasteful cream luggage in the middle of the show floor.  
“Will this do, or will he need additional pieces?”  
Anna studied the trunk for a moment chewing her lip in consideration,  
“He may need another trunk now that he has a proper wardrobe.”  
Ruby nodded,  
“Of course, so another trunk, in the same color?”  
Anna nodded,  
“There are hanging bags with this set right?”  
Ruby shot Anna an offended look by way of answer.  
Anna held her hands up in a placating gesture.  
“Well I’ll have it sent over then. Why don’t you get these boys home, they look exhausted.”  
Anna laughed nodding, and hugged Ruby once more before leaving the store with Lucifer and Castiel in her wake.  
Lucifer hailed another Taxi and ushered Cas and Anna in, before handing a slip of paper with the address to the driver.  
Cas dozed in and out during the drive, before they arrived in front of cozy red brick building, and Cas stared at it uncomprehendingly.  
“I’ve got more room, and someone to receive all your deliveries so we’re going to stay here.”  
Anna’s surprised look melted to one of love, as Lucifer attempted to explain away his gesture.  
The door to their Taxi was opened by a man in a crisp white suit.  
“Good evening Sir.”  
Lucifer nodded and held out his hand to help Anna out of the taxi before leading them all up the stairs to the front door, Anna seemed comfortable here, kicking her shoes off as soon as they were in the foyer, while Cas openly gawked at the mixture of class and comfort displayed around him in the home.  
Lucifer chuckled and snagged Cas by the elbow, leading him to a half landing, and opening a door,  
“This is your room kid, all your stuff should be stacked up in here for you to put away.”  
“Thank you Lucifer.”  
Lucifer nodded curtly,  
“Couldn’t have you sleeping in door jambs, not in those clothes any way. Its not much but it should do for the next couple of weeks.”  
Cas nodded and stepped into a room done in shades of blue,  
“It almost looks like Anna decorated it.”  
Lucifer shrugged.  
“She did, I decided to redo it and she has better taste, so I just gave her my charge card and set her free, came out good.”  
Cas turns on the spot studying the room.  
“I always wanted a blue room, but Father would never allow us to paint.”  
Lucifer shrugged again,  
“Well maybe she was thinking of you when she did it.”  
Cas just nodded as he looked at the room and the pile of deliveries that was threatening to crush him.  
“Anna and I were best friends when we were younger, we played together, studied together, and covered for each other. When she moved out to go to design school, I felt almost betrayed that she could leave me alone with Father, then I just felt lonely. I felt lonely for so long that I didn’t know what it was like to not feel lonely. Today I don’t feel lonely and I don’t know how to deal with that either. Though I am glad that Anna got away when she did. Father would have crushed her spirit, and that would have been unbearable to witness, it may very well have killed us both.”  
Lucifer stared at Cas awkwardly before Anna rushed in, tears streaming down her face, and threw her arms around Cas.  
“I didn’t want to leave you; I wanted you to come with me! But when I told Father I was leaving, and taking you, he threw me down the stairs. When I woke up the next day in the hospital, he told me that if I tried to take you he would kill us both! I’m so sorry Castiel! I was young and scared, and I didn’t know what options I had, so I left, thinking that it would be safer for you. I’ve been talking to a lawyer. I filed for custody. I was coming to get you, when you showed up on my doorstep. I am so sorry Brother.”  
Cas’s eyes filled with tears as Anna told him that he had been wanted by her all along,  
“Its not your fault Anna. Father is a monster. We are together now and free of him and that is all that matters.”  
Lucifer quietly slipped from the room to dismiss his borrowed butler, and give the siblings some privacy.  
Cas and Anna spent the rest of the night unpacking Cas’s clothes talking together, and enjoying the bond they had both come to miss so much.


	7. Its War-MBLAQ

It’s War

Dean woke up the day of his flight the same way he woke up then day of the first audition, with Sam and Jo barreling into his room at zero-dark-thirty tugging his covers away and screaming for him to wake up that Ellen had made breakfast, and his bags were in the truck. Dean grumbled his way into a pair of jeans, and picked up his new leather jacket before finding his way down the stairs to Ellen’s inviting breakfast.  
When he got to the table in the nook off Ellen’s kitchen he found a plate loaded with chocolate chip waffles, and a few pieces of bacon.  
Dean grabbed Ellen in a bear hug,  
“I’m gonna miss you too Momma.”  
Ellen went rigid in Dean’s arms and he instantly regretted his slip. Ellen stepped back out of Dean’s embrace and he tried to turn away from Ellen, but she caught his face in her hands.  
“Don’t you walk away from me boy. I was just surprised; all these years you ain’t never called me Momma. You’ve been my son since the day John dropped you off, but I have never been your Momma, and I’ve been alright with that. But for you to finally call me that, to finally accept you’re as mine as Jo or Sam. Its one of the proudest moments of my life.”  
Dean allowed Ellen to throw her arms back around her and he held her close for a moment before she swatted him away wiping her eyes,  
“Eat your food before it gets cold boy, you have a long trip.”  
Dean kissed the top of Ellen’s head,  
“Yes ma’am.”  
Dean sat down in front of the setting at the table and dug into the amazing food.  
He was halfway through the stack of pancakes when Bobby came into the front room already grumpy.  
“You about ready to go boy? It’s a drive to Austin.”  
Dean shoved as much of his food into his mouth as he could, and rose from the table swinging his jacket across his shoulders, and followed Bobby to the mud room, surprised to see Sam and Jo already pulling on their boots and jackets, and Ellen following along behind.  
“We’re all going to stand at security and wave goodbye. The farm’ll hold for a day.”  
Ellen said noticing the startled look on Dean’s face. Dean nodded, having had enough chick flick moments for one day, and slid his boots on without a word.  
The family trooped out to Ellen’s late model extended cab truck for a ride to Austin in comfort.  
The sun was just rising over the roads when they made the highway and turned the truck towards Austin.  
The feelings of insecurity set in when Dean first laid eyes on the airport. He had never been somewhere that held so many possibilities and emotions. He swallowed hard as Sam helped him unload his bags from the bed of the truck, and the family made their way inside to help Dean check in and check his luggage.  
The lines seemed interminable to Dean, but he calmed down when Jo slid an arm around his waist and tugged at the hem of his t shirt,  
“So have you decided on a song for the second audition, you’ve been volunteering for all the pasture work the last two weeks.”  
Dean shrugged but Jo wasn’t about to let him off that easily.  
“C’mon, spill.”  
Dean tugged his phone out of his pocket and unwound the headphones. He cued up the video and handed the phone to Jo.  
Jo stuck a head phone in and pressed play on the video, and watched silently with her expression never changing, and Dean fidgeted nervously beside her.  
“That bridge could be a bit tricky.”  
Was the first thing Jo said when the video ended.  
“It may lose some of its impact without four other people, but I can do the moves.  
Jo nodded,  
“I think its going to be great. I’m going to miss you when they ship you off to Korea, you know that right?”  
Dean slung an arm around Jo’s shoulders.  
“I’ll miss you too.”  
The line moved slowly and Dean hummed the song slowly under his breath as he fingered his ticket voucher in the folder containing all the audition information.  
Finally he was at the front of the line and he smiled at the obviously frenzied girl behind the counter.  
“Hi, I have a voucher for a prepaid ticket to New York.”  
Dean handed his voucher and ID to the girl with a smile on his face.  
“That’ll be just one moment Sir.”  
The girl scanned his voucher and fed the information into her computer. A minute later Dean’s ticket was printed and the girl handed it to him with a smile.  
“Do you have any luggage you need to check?”  
The girl asked with a perfect customer service smile painted on her face.  
Dean smiled in return,  
“Yes ma’am.”  
He indicated the dark green sea bag leaning against his feet and the girl struggled obviously not to sigh in defeat.  
“Please lift your bag onto the scale so that it can be tagged with your name and flight information.”  
Dean lifted the first case onto the scale, and the girl attached a tag to the handle, before setting it down beside her, and allowing Dean to lift the second bag onto the scale.  
“Did you pack this bag yourself.”  
“Yes ma’am.”  
“Did anyone give you anything to hold for them in this bag?”  
“No ma’am.”  
The girl nodded and lifted the bag onto a conveyor belt behind her.  
“Have a nice day Sir.”  
“You as well.”  
Dean smiled at the girl one last time hoping her day got better before allowing Ellen to lead him away by the elbow.  
They stood in the security line, making a point to chat about unimportant things not related to the trip Dean was about to take.  
When they were about five people away from the front Ellen wrapped her arms around Dean and tugged him close.  
“I’m proud of you boy, whether you’re back next week or gone on to bigger things, I’m proud. I love you.”  
“Love you too”  
Dean mumble against the top of Ellen’s head, before turning into the hug Jo was offering.  
“I’ll call you when I land brat.”  
“You better.”  
Jo answered through what sounded suspiciously like tears. Dean dropped a kiss on the top of her head before turning to Sam. He pulled Sam close and clapped him on the back.  
“See ya later Sammy.”  
Dean ruffled Sam’s hair before turning to Bobby and accepted his hand, before tugging the man closer into a one armed man hug.  
“I love you too Bobby and don’t you forget it.”  
Bobby grumbled something that sounded a lot like  
“You too Idjit.”  
Before they had to leave Dean alone in the line to go through security.  
Dean took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and stepped up to the mark, where he was prompted to remove his shoes and jacket and send them with his messenger bag down the conveyor belt to be x-rayed, and step into the scanner. He obeyed the diagram to raise his arms and hold his breath as he was scanned. He stepped out on the other side and retrieved his belongings on the other side of the belt.  
He stepped off to the side to slide his boots back on and re-situate himself.  
Dean glanced at his watch and realized he still had an hour and a half until his flight. Dean wandered around until he found a coffee shop, ordered himself some coffee and settled at a table with a book trying to focus on anything but his nerves.  
About forty five minutes later Dean wandered over to his gate and took a seat with his boarding pass tucked into his book.  
Finally his boarding group was called, and Dean joined the line, handed his pass to the pilot and was directed to his seat.  
Once the plane leveled out at thirty five thousand feet, Dean stuck his nose back in his book and read all the way to New York.  
The plane touched down in New York late afternoon, and it took Dean almost an hour and the help of two security guards to find baggage claim and retrieve his luggage.  
Dean joined the line outside the airport for a taxi a little overwhelmed by the noise of the city, it was so strange compared to the quiet town, and even quieter farm he had grown up on.  
Soon Dean was lifting his bags into the trunk of another taxi in what seemed like an endless stream of the yellow cars, and handing a card with the address of the hotel to the driver.  
Dean settled back and looked out the window soaking in his first real look at New York City.  
It was twenty minute drive to the hotel, and Dean found himself both longing for Texas, and thrilled at the new world opening up in front of him.  
The cabbie pulled under the portico in front of the hotel and helped Dean take his bags out of the trunk and set them on the pavement so he could take them inside. Dean paid the fare and turned towards the building.  
He made his way inside to the check out desk, and saw a boy standing by the valet counter with a mountain of cream designer luggage, designer clothes, and bright pink hair. Dean scoffed at the rich kid with more luggage than he could handle, slumming it at a chain hotel as he made his way to the check in desk.  
“Good afternoon Sir. Checking in?”  
The pleasant man behind the counter asked Dean with a professional grin.  
“Yeah, I have a voucher for a room…”  
Dean trailed off as the man’s face visibly lit up,  
“Oh! Are you here for the K-Pop audition? They’ve rented out a huge block of rooms. Everyone’s staying here, it’s fantastic.”  
Dean blinked at the suddenly hyper active man as he tried to keep up with all the words.  
“Yeah, I’m here for the audition.”  
The man grinned broadly and took the voucher, logging Dean’s name into the computer, and gesturing to a young bell hop to take Dean’s luggage.  
“Everyone is gathering in the west ballroom on the second floor, you’ll be given your room assignments and keys there.”  
Dean nodded.  
“Thanks.”  
The man called after him,  
“Good luck Mr. Winchester!”  
Dean smiled and waved at the enthusiastic young man, before following the K-Pop Star arrows to the check in location.  
He stood in line behind a group of nervously excited girls, and messed around with his phone texting Jo and telling her all about New York. Soon he walked up to the desk and handed over his driver’s license.  
“Alright Mr. Winchester, welcome to the second round of K-Pop auditions, tomorrow we will have an orientation with all the contestants. Your room number is 1408, and your roommate is…Castiel Novak. Welcome to New York City.”  
Dean accepted his room card from the smiling woman and headed towards an elevator to find his room.  
When Dean keyed open the door, there next to his two olive green sea bag was a familiar pile of designer cream luggage.  
“Dammit.”  
Dean muttered under his breath and he made a point of piling his things on the bed by the window, and congratulated himself on getting one over on the spoiled brat.  
It was about half an hour later when the door opened, and the boy with the pink hair and designer clothes entered the room quietly, and put an inviting grin on his face when he saw Dean,  
“Hello you must be Dean Winchester. I am Castiel Novak. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”  
Cas held out his hand and Dean shook it,  
“Dean, its good to meet you too.”  
Cas smiled at Dean, trying to diffuse the tension in the air.  
“I’m sorry I realize my luggage takes up a lot of space, I’ll unpack it and stow the luggage.”  
Dean shrugged,  
“Hey do what you want man. Your stuff your call.”  
Cas chewed on his lip unable to figure out what he had done in his short interaction with Dean to make the boy dislike him so.  
Cas looked at Dean as the uncomfortable silence grew,  
“I was going to order Chinese food in for dinner, would you like some?”  
Dean studied the boy in front of him for a moment,  
“Nah, I’m gonna go find somewhere to get a burger.”  
Dean shrugged his jacket on and headed towards the door of the room before the manners Ellen beat into him reared their ugly heads,  
“You could, uhm, come along if you want.”  
Cas grinned,  
“I would be delighted.”  
Dean nodded and waited for Cas to collect his jacket and wallet and make his way into the hall before they headed to the concierge to see where a decent burger was to be found.  
Dean and Cas made their way to the concierge desk and Dean leans on the counter casually and waits for the concierge to finish her call.  
“How may I help you?”  
Dean makes sure to lay the Texas drawl on thick in an attempt to charm the concierge,  
“Well ma’am my roommate and I were just wondering where the best burger place is. Think you can point us in the right direction?”  
The concierge smiled warmly at Dean, and Cas filed that charm away, it could make Dean a top competitor if they both made it to the public vote rounds.  
“ Are looking for fine dining or a diner?”  
The concierge leaned close to Dean making the conversation seem almost intimate, and rather than be offended at someone in his personal space Dean just grinned at her.  
“Well there is a little mom and pop place, barely around the corner, I could give them a call and tell them you’re headed that way. They’d take good care of you and your roommate.”  
The concierge spoke in a voice so low that Cas, standing two feet away, barely heard her  
Dean’s grin became openly appreciative,  
“Well I sure would appreciate that, if it wasn’t too much trouble.”  
The pretty blonde concierge, Cas finally noticed, shook her head,  
“No, no trouble at all. Just give me your name, and there will be table waiting for you.”  
Dean’s grin grew broad,  
“Dean Winchester is my name ma’am, might I trouble you for yours?”  
The girl giggled, seemingly in spite of herself,  
“Becky Rosen.”  
Dean slid a five dollar bill across the counter,  
“It was a pleasure to encounter you Becky Rosen.”  
Becky left the tip on the counter, almost as if she hadn’t noticed it, staring at Dean,  
“You as well Mr. Winchester.”  
Dean pushed himself off the counter in a lithe graceful move, and slung an arm around Cas’s shoulders,  
“C’mon man.”  
Cas stared uncomprehending at Dean as he was steered through the lobby. Once they made the street, Cas picked Dean’s hand up between thumb and fore finger dropping back to his side,  
“I do not care to be touched without invitation, if we are to be roommates you would do well to remember that.”  
Dean held his hands up defensively,  
“Sure man, whatever.”  
Dean stuffed his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, and walked quietly beside Cas, his eyes distant in thought.  
It wasn’t until Rosen’s Diner was coming into view that Dean spoke again  
“You know I may not be in head to toe Morningstar, but its not like I’m some filthy street urchin whose going to soil your clothes. I was trying to be friendly.”  
Cas sighed heavily  
“I did not mean that you might soil me, and I take no issue with the provenance of your clothing, perhaps someday I will tell the story of how I came to be dressed in head to toe Morningstar, and you will understand. For now however rest assured that my stepping away from you was in no way a snub, I simply do not like to be touched.”  
Dean nodded and held a hand out to shake,  
“Sorry for being a snob, or assuming you were, whichever.”  
Cas shook Dean’s hand lightly,  
“I understand. I can imagine the image I must create.”  
The two walked into Rosen Diner and found a red and white formica table with a card on it bearing Dean’s name.  
Cas and Dean slid into comfortably worn chairs and immediately a middle age man was at their table.  
“Becky sent you two? Well I’m Chuck, and we’re thrilled to have you. What can I get you to drink?”  
“A coke for me please.”  
Dean chimed in without any hesitation,  
“Just water for me please.”  
Cas murmured looking at the laminated menu with an unreadable expression.  
Dean turned the menu to the burger selection and Cas studied his face curiously,  
“May I ask you a question?”  
Dean shrugged as he worked his way through the build your own burger options,  
“Why are you here?”  
Dean set the menu down and turned to Cas incredulous,  
“Why are you?”  
Cas fought the urge to shrug,  
“I have a love of K-Pop, of music, this is my chance to do what I wish with my life, before conformity takes over.”  
Dean stared at Cas, not sure which part of that statement to address first.  
“What makes you think I’m any different? What makes you think there’s no conformity in K-Pop, what makes you think that I’m not here for the chance to do something I love?”  
Cas’s eyes went wide and he remained silent as Chuck slid two glasses on the table, and taking note of the atmosphere, found somewhere else to make himself busy.  
“You live in Texas? Or at least your accent is from Texas. So let me guess, you played high school football, dated pretty girls, and secretly lusted after pretty Korean boys, and told yourself that being gay and in the closet in the Bible belt made you a rebel, a non-conformist. Clearly you have talent, or you wouldn’t be here. But you have a problem with me, because I have pink hair and wear designer clothes, but yet you recognize the designer. Your nails are manicured, so despite your issues with men doing feminine things, you have these little weaknesses, so you hate me, because I can accept the things I like despite their gender labels. Well let me tell you, a lot of K-Pop culture is going to challenge your beliefs on masculinity, so you will wind up hating a lot of people.”  
Dean’s fists clenched tighter and tighter as Cas continued speaking in that cultured accent that made everything he said sound pretentious, and he saw absolute red.  
“What the hell do you know? About Texas, the people I care about, or about me? You are a jerk with your nose stuck so far up in the air I’m amazed birds don’t poop in it.”  
Dean shoved himself away from the table and stormed out of the diner before he lost the battle with his temper and slugged Cas out of the cheap vinyl chair.  
Dean stalked down the street his fists clenching and unclenching against the fabric of his jeans, the need to hit something bubbling in his blood.  
Dean stormed back up to his hotel room, changed into shorts and a wife-beater, before making his way to the hotel gym and the free weights.  
Two hours later Dean was in the gym’s shower and he let out a deep breath, leaning his forehead against the cool tile of the shower wall he sighed heavily, as he finally had to face going back to his room and seeing Castiel again.  
Dean meandered his way up the hallways to the doorway of his hotel room, and steeled himself before sliding in his key card and pushing the door open.  
When Dean stepped inside the room it was dark, and the light filtering through the blinds was just enough to make Cas’s pink hair glow just above the quilt. Dean nodded to himself and quietly slid his shoes off before sliding into his bed with his phone to text Jo.  
Sent: Hey little sis  
Received: Hey how’s your first day in NY?  
Sent: Fantastic…  
Received: You only say that when you’re being sarcastic  
Sent: Roommate’s a jerk  
Received: What happened?  
Sent: Accused me of being in the closet and hating anyone who doesn’t conform to Texas standards of being a man  
Received: -__-  
Sent: yeah I don’t want to talk about him  
Received: Sam wants me to go get another manicure with him  
Sent: Lol we converted him  
Received: I think so Mom even wants Bobby to go  
Sent: Pics of that please  
Received: Lol naturally how else would we black mail him?  
Dean dozed off with his phone in his hand and a message notification on his screen.


	8. Something- Girl's Day

Something

The next morning Dean was awoken by the phone screaming and the door to the room slamming closed, he groaned as the sounds assaulted him, and reached for the handset of the phone,  
“Hello?”  
Dean mumbled rubbing a hand over his face trying to scrub away the sleep,  
“You have half an hour until your mandatory orientation.”  
The line went dead and Dean stared at the handset,  
“Well good morning to you too.”  
Dean sighed and pushed himself off the edge of his bed, grateful he had showered the night before, he dug out his leather pants and the baby powder, to which Jo had helpfully stuck a picture of herself flashing a thumbs up, Dean chuckled and tucked the bottle under his arm digging out the blood red leather pants, and making his way to the bathroom.  
Five minutes later Dean was in the skin tight red leather and was celebrating his advances in this area as he laced himself into the shiny knee high boots Jo had blown two weeks allowance on for him, and buttoned up a white dress shirt. He rolled the sleeves just above his elbows, added a multi strand leather cuff bracelet to one wrist, threw some eyeliner on, and walked out of the hotel room twenty minutes later and arrived in the conference room five minutes early.  
Dean found his name on the seating chart and had to stifle a groan when he saw ‘Novak, Castiel’ on the seat directly to his right. Clearly this whole roommate thing was going to be taken to extremes. Dean forced a neutral expression to his face and made his way to the empty seat.  
Cas turned with a start when he heard the chair next to him slide out and felt his mouth drop open when he laid eyes on Dean. Cas colored as his words from yesterday floated back into his ears, and he compared them to the man in front of him.  
Dean nodded stiffly at Cas who returned the greeting and faced the podium again turning the conundrum of his roommate over in his mind.  
A small Korean woman stepped to the microphone attached at the podium and cleared her throat, the low buzz of conversation in the room stilled instantly and an expectant hush spread.  
“Welcome to the second round of American audition for K-Pop Star. This round will differ from the initial round in several key ways. These rounds will be far more structured with classes in the essential skills of an idol, and cuts at the end of these classes. Those who remain after the classes will perform for the team captains. Those selected will move on to the Korean rounds. On the table in front of you is your class schedule, miss a class and you will be disqualified. We expect you to manage your time well. Behave so as to embarrass yourself, and you will be disqualified. Our instructors deserve the highest respect and we expect that they receive it. The classes and auditions will be filmed, so we expect that you will take this opportunity to start building a following, but not to the point that you disrupt the process. If you have any questions please feel free to find your floor advisor. We will start with Block Two today, as we’re getting a bit of a late start. Good luck people.”  
Dean picked his schedule up and studied it;  
Block One  
6:30am-10:00am  
Vocal lessons  
Pink room  
Block Two  
11:00am-2:30pm  
Dance lessons  
Blue Room  
Lunch  
2:30 pm- 3:30 pm  
Block Three  
4:00pm-7:30pm  
Interview lessons  
Green Room  
Block Four  
8:00pm-10:00pm  
Korean Lessons  
White room  
Cas cleared his throat quietly and Dean turned to his side struggling to keep the anger off his face, and Cas felt the apology die in his throat,  
“May I see your course schedule?”  
Dean handed it over without a word, hoping he would declare their schedules radically different. Cas scanned them for a moment,  
“Identical.”  
He murmured handing Dean his schedule back.  
Dean sighed but said nothing as he headed back to the room to change for dance class.  
Cas watched Dean’s back as he retreated,  
“So I am most definitely an idiot.”  
He muttered under his breath, as he rose to follow Dean to the room and get dressed for dance class.  
Half an hour later Cas was on the floor stretching in the blue room when Dean entered in a plain white wife beater, and black and white patterned parachute pants. His sneakers were bright pink, and he seemed completely comfortable as he flopped to the floor with a certain grace to begin stretching.  
At eleven am on the dot the door to the room opened and their instructors walked in. The entire room fell silent in shock as two of the biggest idols in the world stood casually surveying them.  
The shorter of the two men clapped his hands together sharply.  
“Everyone to the center of the room please, form straight lines.”  
The sharp words seemed to jerk everyone out of their shock and they scrambled to comply.  
Thirty seconds later six wobbly lines had formed and the man who gave the instructions spoke to his companion,  
“We have got a long way to go.”  
Then he turned back to the people assembled in front of him.  
“My name is Key, and this is Taemin, we are two of the members of SHINee. We are here to teach you how to dance, how to learn choreography, how to freestyle without looking stupid. But first we will teach you how to stand in straight lines. I want the girls in the front two rows and boys in the back two. You will arrange yourselves left to right according to height.”  
A good deal of scrambling followed his words as people rushed to line up following his words, of course since both Dean and Cas were fairly tall, this left them standing next to each other, Cas blushed again and Dean kept his face stoic, but at least his hands were relaxed against his sides and not curled into fists.  
Two minutes later the results were a tight clump of people arranged by height.  
“Good, now I want everyone to touch shoulders with the person to the right and left of them.”  
There was a small amount of shuffling as people formed straight, if somewhat compact lines.  
“Now the tallest person on each line will extend their arms out in front of them until their fingertips are an inch from the back of the person in front of them, once you have done this each person on the line will extend their right arm and move left until their fingertips are an inch from the person next to them.”  
It took a minute of people accidentally bumping together and trodding on people’s toes before everyone was separated according to instructions.  
Key nodded sharply  
“Good, you can follow directions. This is how you will line up every morning, this is how much space you will maintain between yourselves, unless instructed otherwise. Now Taemin will lead you through a stretching routine, you will leave with diagrams of these stretches and you will have them memorized by our fourth class or you will be cut. So pay attention.”  
Taemin stepped to the front of the group and led them through a fluid series of stretches twice to give them a good starting familiarity. Once he deemed them suitably warmed up Key stepped forward again.  
“I will be separating you into groups of five and assigning you a dance number. The assignments are not open to discussion. You will be able to perform them by the end of class tomorrow. This is not an elimination, we are simply trying to gauge your level.”  
Key and Taemin moved through the lines holding a black pouch with colored tiles out to each person for random draw. When everyone had a tile Key and Taemin moved back to the front of the class.  
“Stacked at the entry way are Cd’s in colors that coordinate with your tiles. There will be rooms available all night to those who wish to practice. Now let’s do some work.”  
Everyone pocketed their tile as Key and Taemin started leading them through the choreography to SHINee’s Replay.  
The rest of the class passed in a blur of movement and it seemed only seconds later that they were being led through a set of cool down exercises.  
Once they were dismissed there was a mad rush to the table bearing the Cd’s, and Dean had no sooner picked up a purple one to match his tile than Cas appeared quietly at his shoulder,  
“Pass me one of those as well please.”  
Dean sighed and passed a Cd over his shoulder, and lingered at the edge waiting until two girls and one more guy joined them.  
As a group they headed into the hallway and grouped loosely around Dean, who cleared his throat and seemed to think a moment before speaking,  
“So I vote we go get some lunch, I’ll bring my laptop so we can see what we’ve been assigned, plan to practice late tonight, and claim a room. Anybody have any objections?”  
There were four shaking heads and Dean gave them the directions to Becky’s burger place, before taking off for his room at a jog. Ten minutes later they were all grouped around a table with Chuck serving up glasses of Coke. Dean opened his laptop in the middle of the table and slid the top disc from the case and into the disc drive of the computer. The DVD loading screen swirled and A Pink performing Mr. Chu filled the screen.  
Dean smirked wondering how Cas would respond when Dean reported already knowing most of this routine. Cas nodded unperturbed by song while the others looked slightly nervous.  
When the routine concluded Dean was the first to speak.  
“So I know most of this one, anyone else?”  
Cas raised a hand, and the edgy and extremely young looking blonde girl in the group waved her hand,  
“Ish. I’m Claire by the way.”  
“Dean.”  
Dean smiled kindly at her before speaking again,  
“Let’s all take this opportunity to introduce ourselves, if we’re going to spend the night together we should at least know each other’s names.”  
Dean smirked a little at the implied joke and waited for the next person to speak up.  
The brunette girl was the next to speak,  
“Bela.”  
She smirked back at Dean a hint of posh British in her voice.  
Dean waved at her and turned to the unidentified man at the table,  
“Balthazar.”  
He smirked at Bela who seemed annoyed by his less than posh British accent.  
Cas finally sighed and joined the togetherness,  
“Castiel.”  
Dean grinned,  
“Good now that we all know each other let’s go back and lay claim to a practice room. We’ll meet there half an hour after final block. I’ll have some food, and we can begin working.”  
The group paid their tab with a tip for Chuck since they had taken over almost a quarter of his restaurant, and hurried back to the hotel. They laid claim to a decent sized room, taping purple paper to the door, before locking it and leaving the key with Dean who had some how managed to become their defacto leader.  
At the end of their Korean lessons the instructor cleared her throat,  
“The camera crews will begin following dance practices this evening, please remember that anything you say or do on camera could make it into the final edit of the show, so conduct yourself accordingly. See you tomorrow.”  
Everyone filed out and Dean and Cas nodded politely to the camera men heading down towards the practice rooms as they made their way to their room to change for dance practices.  
“Did you do anything about food for tonight?”  
Dean nodded,  
“Chuck is sending some stuff over with Becky.”  
Cas winced at his tone. It was flat and polite, but there was no inflection no personality in it.  
“Dean.”  
Dean stopped and turned to Cas the same polite mask on his face,  
“Yes?”  
Dean noticed a camera crew over Cas’s shoulder beginning to look their way interested, and promised himself he would remain composed, and hoped the conversation would be too boring for them,  
“I wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday. It was cruel and wrong, and I was wrong to say it. I would like for us to be friends since it seems we are going to spend a decent amount of time together.”  
Dean looked at him as he thought and tried to put all his jumbled thoughts and emotions into place. He nodded decisively before speaking,  
“I forgive you, and I don’t hate you. But we are not friends.”  
Cas nodded solemnly and allowed Dean to proceed him into their room.  
Dean dug out a fresh set of dance clothes and stepped into the bathroom to change giving Cas the privacy of the main room.  
Cas sighed as he thought about what Dean had said, he rubbed a rough hand over his face before muttering,  
“Can’t ask for more than that.”  
He shook his shoulders trying to shake some life back into his weary limbs as he pulled on another set of dance clothes himself. He was sitting on the end of his bed studying the diagrams they had been given at the end of their first dance lesson.  
“Ready?”  
Dean asked softly trying to be nicer to his roommate.  
Cas nodded and pushed himself off the bed gracefully.  
Cas pocketed the stretching diagrams and followed Dean into the hall, they were joined shortly by a camera man and a producer, Dean smiled politely which the producer took as an opportunity to start asking questions.  
“Where are you boys going?”  
“Just to dance practice to work on our team assignment Ma’am.”  
Dean put a little emphasis on his Texas drawl and remembered to smile for the producer, Cas struggled to keep an annoyed expression off his face. He had always hated people in his face and asking nosy questions. Something he supposed he would have to get over if he was going to be an idol. Dean on the other hand seemed completely at ease chatting with the producer and mugging for the camera. Cas had to admit he was charming, and that made him dangerous, very dangerous.  
They arrived at the practice room with the purple paper on the door and walked straight into tense conversation that seemed to be teetering on the edge of an all out brawl.  
Dean fought the urge to sigh heavily and waded into the center of the argument holding up a hand to silence Claire who was screaming at an Asian girl with far too much eyeliner on.  
“Alright people what’s the problem?”  
Claire turned to Dean fury snapping in her eyes,  
“They’re trying to take our practice room, when its clearly been reserved for us. That’s our color on the door and you have the room key!”  
The girl who seemed ready to claw Claire’s eyes out turned to him and held a hand out,  
“We’re going to need that please.”  
Her voice was an obviously fake saccharine sweet that immediately set Dean’s teeth on edge, but mindful of the cameras he forced himself to remain polite,  
“May I ask why you think our reservation has no bearing on the room?”  
The girl’s face turned fierce,  
“We need to rehearse and all the other rooms are full.”  
Dean felt himself becoming irate, and he struggled with his composure,  
“Well our group needs to rehearse as well, and as you can see we have the room reserved, so I’m afraid you’re going to have to go somewhere else.”  
The girl growled and lunged for Dean’s pockets trying to snatch the key to the room.  
Dean took a step back hand closing protectively over his pocket. The girl sprawled to the floor and another member of her group lunged over her. Dean jumped back again only to collide with the producer standing next to the camera man. Dean had no sooner turned to help the producer to her feet than Key and Taemin jogged around the corner and into the corridor.  
“What is going on here? Someone told us that two groups were fighting and that the Purple team was trying to steal someone else’s practice room quite violently.”  
The Asian girl and her companions looked smug as Dean helped the producer to her feet and made sure she was unharmed.  
Claire and Bela however started screaming denials until Key held his hand up for silence.  
“Of course we as instructors can’t simply take someone’s word at face value, particularly not in a competition setting like this. So if anyone has anything to confess this your opportunity to do so and avoid disqualification.”  
A couple of the members of the opposing group looked a bit uncomfortable but stayed silent regardless.  
Key nodded,  
“Very well then if I may have the key to the room?”  
Dean pulled the key from his pocket and handed it over inclining his head respectfully, Key nodded and handed the room key to Taemin and took a clip board from him.  
“Will someone please remove the oddly purple paper so we can see the room number?”  
Claire stalked to the door of the practice room and tore the paper down in one sharp swipe revealing a show sign labeling the door practice room twelve.  
Taemin looked down at the clip board in his hand and ran his finger down the list,  
“Practice room twelve, signed out to Dean Winchester, Purple team, block two.”  
Dean raised his hand,  
“That would be me.”  
Key quirked an eyebrow,  
“Can you prove that?”  
Dean reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and handed his driver’s license over.  
Key studied it for a moment before returning the card and room key to Dean.  
“Enjoy your practice.”  
“Thank you.”  
Dean gestured for his team and unlocked the door urging them inside,  
“Would it be possible to file some kind of complaint? These girls attacked me, and in attempting to avoid said attack I knocked down our lovely producer.”  
Key nodded sharply and glared at the other team,  
“The camera can stay but I need the producer, you, and the members of the opposing team to come with me.”  
Dean turned to Cas,  
“Get them started on the routine will you?”  
Cas nodded and made his way to the front of the room.  
Dean extended his arm to the producer who smiled at him and accepted it as she was still a little shaky.  
Key and Taemin led the group through the halls of the hotel until they were knocking on the door of a room.  
A man opened the door and Key and Taemin bowed respectfully,  
“We have had a bit of an issue.”  
Taemin spoke softly, and the man nodded and pulled the door back.  
“I will convene the disciplinary board. If you will wait.”  
Dean cleared his throat not sure if it was okay for him to speak,  
“Yes?”  
The man turned to him curiously,  
“During the altercation the producer I was speaking too was knocked down quite hard, is there a medic who can check her over and make sure she’s okay?”  
The man nodded,  
“I’ll have one sent for immediately.”  
Dean nodded and helped the woman sit on a low couch, before standing with his arms folded behind his back waiting quietly.   
Five minutes later a knock came at the door and Key pulled it open to a young women carrying a first aid kit,  
“I got a call for a medic?”  
Key nodded,  
“Yes, this way please.”  
Key led the medic to the low couch where the producer was starting to feel the effects of her hard knock as the adrenaline wore off.  
The medic nodded and shooed Dean away so she could examine the producer.  
Dean went to lean against a wall near Taemin, who nodded at him politely.  
“Can I ask what happens next?”  
Taemin turned to him,  
“I’m not really sure, this is my first year with the show, Key would probably be able to tell you.”  
Dean nodded and turned to survey the room,  
“You’re not going to be disqualified, you know. You’re just here to give a witness account.”  
Dean let out a sigh of relief,  
“That helps, thank you.”  
Taemin nodded again and went back to playing with his phone.  
It was another ten minutes before the door opened again, and the man originally in the room reentered,  
“The disciplinary board has convened, I’m to take you all to them.”  
Everyone filed out of the room, including the medic who seemed determined to follow this drama to the end. They made their way to a conference room, and were immediately picked up on camera, and Dean had a realization when he was the only person who noticed,  
“What have I gotten myself into?”  
He muttered under his breath as he filed with the others into the conference room to face the board composed of the director, executive producer, and the person in charge of the practice rooms.  
“I am very sorry to disturb you all, but we have had a breach of conduct that requires your immediate attention.”  
The director nodded,  
“What happened?”  
“There was a dispute over a practice room that turned violent. The Purple team signed out a practice room, and it seems the White team failed to make the same preparations, so they attempted to take the practice room from the Purple team, when they wouldn’t hand over the room key, two members of the White team attempted to attack a member of the Purple team, resulting in the injury of a producer.”  
The director’s eyes widened in shock,  
“That is quite serious. Are you sure of the events?”  
Key nodded,  
“Reasonably sure yes.”  
“We will be speaking to all of you one by one. Starting with Key. If the rest of you would wait outside that would be wonderful.”  
The room slowly emptied, and the door closed leaving Key inside with the board.  
Dean paced back and forth in the hallway outside the conference room pointedly refusing to so much as look at the two girls who had attacked him and were now causing him to miss rehearsal.  
Key seemed to be in with the board forever before he came out and Dean was called in.  
He closed the door of the room softly behind him before making his way to the center of the floor in front of the conference table and folded his hands behind his back. He was forcibly reminded of the time his coach called half the team to task for drinking at a party and wondered if this would also end in wind sprints until he puked, before he shook himself and reined in his imagination.  
“Mr. Winchester.”  
Dean forced himself to look directly at the man in the center of the table,  
“Yes Sir?”  
“We understand you were involved in an altercation this evening, is this true?”  
Dean nodded as he responded,  
“Yes Sir.”  
“What was the nature of the altercation?”  
Dean took a breath steeling himself before he spoke,  
“When I arrived to meet my team for dance rehearsal at the practice room we signed out a member of my team Claire was arguing with a girl I didn’t know, when I asked what was going on Claire told me that this girl and her group were attempting to take over our practice room, she demanded the key from me and I refused. At which point she and another member of her team lunged at me in an attempt to take the key from me. As I stepped back to avoid her attack I bumped into the producer I had been speaking with and caused her to fall down hard, and our dance instructors came around the corner to take the situation in hand.”  
Dean spoke clearly and concisely keeping the anger out of his voice.  
The man in the center of the table nodded,  
“Thank you for your time Mr. Winchester, you may return to your practice now.”  
Dean inclined his head,  
“Thank you Sir.”  
Dean walked by the girls from the other team who simply flipped their hair with haughty expressions, Dean shook his head which seemed to enrage the ring leader who lunged to block him from leaving,  
“You know if you had just given me the key when I asked we wouldn’t be in the situation.”  
the girl snapped at him, Dean simply stared at her incredulously,  
“Are you serious?”  
The girl glared,  
“Of course I’m serious! My team needs that room, you and your team were too selfish to give it up and now we’re here!”  
Dean opened and closed his mouth a few times before deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, he slid past the still fuming girl and walked away silent intent on making it to practice in time to be of some use.


	9. Mr. Chu- APink

Mr. Chu

Dean made his back to practice room twelve and knocked on the door hoping someone would hear him over the music blaring. Bela opened the door just wide enough to stick her head around a wary expression on her face,  
“Oh hello Dean, we were wondering if they were going to let you back.”  
Dean stepped into the practice room trying to decide if Bela was pleased to see him or not, but whatever Bela’s opinion was everyone else in the room was happy to see him and he was instantly mobbed by Claire and Balthazar firing off questions too fast for him to get a word in edgewise.  
Laughing Dean held his hands up begging for some air, Claire and Balthazar stepped back and Dean finally saw Cas, who inclined his head,  
“I am glad you returned Dean.”  
“Thanks man, now where are we with all this?”  
“Bela and Claire have a reasonable grasp of the choreography, but I fear Balthazar may be hopeless.”  
Dean nodded,  
“Well why don’t you show me what you’ve got and then we’ll figure out how I fit into it.”  
Cas nodded and turned to the others,  
“Okay line up everybody.”  
Dean cued the music on the CD player and leaned against the wall, as the others formed a single file line, stepping out and in with the music. Dean immediately understood what Cas meant by calling Balthazar hopeless, he tended to dramatically over play the feminity of the movements, and any isolated hip move looked more like an attempt at a comedy special than at dancing. The others were fairly smooth with Bela marking in a couple places and some timing issues, but nothing that would be difficult to fix. When the music ended Dean nodded to himself and gestured a little as he worked out a plan of action in his head.  
“Okay Cas take Balthazar and Claire to the mirror and work with him on those hip tricks so he can smooth them out some, I’ll help Bela with where she’s marking and we’ll work the group together in about an hour. Deal?”  
Everyone nodded and followed Dean’s instructions to their posts. Dean turned Bela so her back was to the group at the mirror so she wouldn’t be distracted by them.  
“Okay follow me Bela.”  
Dean started counting off combinations as he moved through the routine a half speed, so Bela could see the moves slowed down.  
By the end of the hour Bela was making it through the whole routine at half speed without marking anywhere.  
“Okay ready to go back to the others?”  
Bela nodded still moving her hands with the count of the song, and so Dean turned around and led her to the mirror with the others,  
“Okay so can Balthazar roll his hips without looking like he’s on a Comedy Central stripper special?”  
Cas snorted inelegantly before nodding,  
“He has progressed yes.”  
“Cool then let’s work out these combos and solos.”  
There was a knock on the door as soon as Dean finished speaking, he crossed to the door and Dean opened cautiously, outside the door was Becky with a room service cart loaded down with take out bags, Dean threw the door wide open,  
“Becky you are a vision with absolutely spot on timing.”  
Becky beamed at Dean,  
“Aren’t you sweet, now where would you like all this food?”  
Dean looked around lost for a moment before holding up a finger and grabbing a table off the back wall locking its legs into place and setting it up right.  
“Right there please.”  
Becky smiled at Dean and helped him unload all of the take out bags and arrange the food. Dean grinned at handed her a five dollar bill,  
“Thanks Becky, you’re the best.”  
Becky smiled at waved on her way out the door.  
“So how about we eat and figure out whose going to solo where, then nail down our timing?”  
Everyone nodded, and put together plates from the spread of food Chuck sent over, before settling around Dean’s laptop to watch the routine and claim solos.  
Forty five minutes later they were lined up in front of the mirror with Dean counting as they try to move in unison.  
Two hours later they were ready to try it with the music, Dean was pleased when they got through the entire routine without Bela marking or Balthazar making a spectacle of himself, and in almost perfect unison.  
“That was great, let’s run through it with the music a couple of more times and get as close as we can.”  
The other four nodded and lined back up in starting positions as they repeated the routine until their timing had no major flaws.  
“Alright people it is now three in the morning. I propose we all go try and get a couple of hours of sleep before first block, and for dance class tomorrow everybody wear white and pink. Good night y’all.”  
The other four mumbled their good nights to him as they filed out of the room. Dean hung the key on a hook by the door and followed Cas back to his room, set the alarm, and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.  
Dean’s alarm sounded far too soon and he drug himself out of bed, waved at Cas, and made his way to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face. He pulled on a pair of jeans and an old Fall Out Boy t-shirt before vacating the bathroom for Cas.  
He was sitting on the edge of his bed he pulled on his old converse and stretched. As soon as Cas joined him they left and made their way to the elevator and the vocal room. He and Cas filed into the room with the others, selected a chair on one of the risers and read over the sheet music that was waiting on their chairs. The room fell silent as the door opened and closed and their instructor walked in.  
Dean looked up from his sheet music and tried desperately not to gape, standing in front of him was his favorite K-Pop singer, Kim Jonghyun. Cas leaned over to whisper to him,  
“They went really SHINee heavy with these instructors huh?”  
Dean turned to stare at him in shock,  
“That’s because SHINee is the most talented group active right now, we are really lucky to get them.”  
Cas shrugged,  
“They’re okay, I prefer EXO however.”  
Dean was so shocked he couldn’t form words, shaking his head he turned back to the front, far more eager for this class than he had expected to be.  
“Hello everyone, today its going to be fairly easy, we’re going to assign vocal ranges, and work on some basic sight reading, just to gauge everybody’s level. Tomorrow the real work begins.”  
Jonghyun lined everyone up and had them sing scales with the piano assigning ranges as he went. Soon it was Dean’s turn, and Jonghyun started at the low end, and Dean’s voice croaked as he tried to match it, but it became easier as the notes got higher, he easily followed the notes up and over middle C and was assigned a tenor range.  
Cas followed Dean and picked up the lower notes easily, fading out as the notes approached middle C, and was assigned a Bass range.  
“Okay we have an hour, so let’s try some basic sight reading, you’re going to sing with the other members of your vocal group, and we’re going to go one at a time so I can get an idea of what we’re working with.”  
Jonghyun pointed to the sopranos, and played the staring note on the piano and signaled the sopranos to sing with music, Dean found himself a bit terrified when he saw Jonghyun fighting back a wince at the rough edges of the music. Without commentary Dean turned to the altos and repeated the same process. Dean felt his palms grow slick as Jonghyun turned to the tenors and gestured for them to raise their sheet music, Dean heard himself stumble a couple of times, but was pleased over all, Jonghyun ran through the music with the bass group, before nodding,  
“Over all not too bad, there are definitely some rough patches, but I think we can smooth them out. Good class today, see you all tomorrow.”  
Dean and Cas left the vocal class at a sprint, hit their room, changed, and made it to the dance room with their CD five minutes early to meet up with their group and Dean grinned at everyone in head to toe pink and white,  
“Is everybody ready? Bela no marking, Balthazar control your hip movements, Claire remember to watch your counts, Cas no ad-libbing. Let’s do this.”  
Everyone grinned and raised their fists to signify their readiness, and went inside to fall into line with the rest of the class, they slowly made their way through the stretching routine and when they were done Key stood in the front of the room, and shook the black velvet bag ominously,  
“So the first group is…the Purple group!”  
Dean, Cas, Claire, Bela, and Balthazar all identified themselves, and Key grinned a little,  
“Who oddly enough are wearing pink, everyone else to the back wall, give them some space.”   
Dean hands his CD case to Taemin who carries it over to the player on the table in the corner, and the five line up waiting for the music to start.  
Since they’re facing away from the mirror Dean has no idea how they did, no idea if anyone on his team took his advice, no idea if it was brilliant or terrible, all he could find himself thinking was that he hoped they hadn’t just completely screwed up an APink routine in front of Lee Taemin, and simply breathed trying to control the butterflies in his stomach.  
The room was completely silent as Dean and his team held their final pose lined up facing the mirror with their backs to the class, waiting to be told that it was okay to break position.  
“Okay guys turn around and lets talk about that.”  
They turned around to face the rest of the class, and Dean stole a quick glance at Taemin, who had an unreadable expression on his face, and Dean felt panic take over his body.  
“So Taemin what did you see?”  
Taemin tapped a finger against his lips as he considered the routine,  
“Over all it wasn’t bad, there were a couple of places where your timing could have been tighter, and you…”  
He pointed at Balthazar,  
“Were trying a bit too hard to look feminine instead of just executing the routine, but overall a respectable showing, particularly when you consider the time restrictions.”  
“Thank you.”  
Dean murmured, chalking up Taemin’s earlier expression to amusement at Balthazar over playing the routine, and felt himself relax.  
Key nodded,  
“Overall it was good, a little choppy in places but nothing that can’t be smoothed out with a little work.”  
Dean and the others nodded, and made their way back to the where all the others were sitting finding spaces along the wall. Key reached into the black bag again and this time drew out a white tile which he made a face at,  
“Due to a violation of the contest rules two members of the white team have been disqualified and sent home, so their performance will consist of only three people.”  
The remaining members of the White team sprung to their feet, one obviously outraged, who had clearly taken over for the disqualified ringleader screaming at Key and Taemin,  
“We had two members disqualified and no where to rehearse and you still expect us to perform?”  
Key leveled a steely look at the boy, and answered in the same firm tone often used with toddlers throwing temper tantrums,  
“Yes.”  
The boy seemed taken aback when Key refused to engage in his histrionics,  
“Even if we could do the routine with only three people we would need another night and space to rehearse before we could perform.”  
Key raised an eyebrow and when he finally spoke it was in a low cold tone that sent shivers down Dean’s spine,  
“Having two members disqualified does not prevent the rest of you from learning the routine, and when I walked around at one am, there were at least two open unreserved rooms, yet no White team rehearsing.”  
The boy’s face went blank in shock,  
“We had class at six thirty this morning, and you expected us to still be rehearsing at one?”  
Key quirked an eyebrow looked at Taemin and they both turned back to him before responding in unison,  
“Yes.”  
The room was silent, no one dared speak or breathe, a pin dropping would have been cacophonous.  
“What did you think the life of an idol was? We work. Around the clock, we stay up until three or four learning new songs and routines, then have appearances at six. When we film music videos we are on set around the clock for at least two days, filming doesn’t stop because you’re tired, or hungry. You eat and sleep when you have time, in filming resets and in vans. Our life is not one of luxury, its one of hard work. So yes, if you want this, if you love it enough to work for it, I would have expected to find you still rehearsing at one in the morning. However, I think that this maybe isn’t the place for you, so I’m going to have to ask you to leave my class, and report to conference room A. Take your things as I highly doubt you will be coming back.”  
Key pulled the door open as he finished speaking, and gestured for a security guard to come and escort the boy to the conference room. Once he left Key turned back to the rest of the White team,  
“I’m going to give you a choice. You may follow the directives of the class and perform your routine to the best of your abilities, and we’ll call this a learning experience, or you may follow your team mate out the door.”  
The remaining two members of the White team nervously walked to the front of the room and handed Taemin their cd, before turning to Key,  
“So this routine is going to look a bit odd with only two people, but we’ll give it our best shot. With the actions of our teammate I just feel the need to say, that we were my room rehearsing our part of this until almost four, some of us do care.”  
Key inclined his head,  
“I’m glad to hear that, so let’s see it.”  
Taemin cued the CD player and the opening music for Miss A’s “Breathe” was pumped into the room and the girls began moving with it. Dean found himself grinning as the two plucky girls were exactly on point with the routine, one even popping perfectly vertical into her handstand. When the routine ended with the girls sitting on the floor hands over their mouths Dean couldn’t help the grin on his face, or the loud whoop he let out. Soon all eyes were on him and Dean felt the blush creeping up his face,  
“Uhmm, I didn’t mean for that be out loud…”  
Dean rubbed the back of his neck,”  
“I just think its great they did so well after everything their team put them through. I’m a sucker for an under dog what can I say?”  
The two girls grinned at him from where they were still sitting on the floor, and Key and Taemin smiled right along,  
“I think that about covers it. Good job ladies.”  
Key grinned and the two girls returned to the back wall settling near Dean.  
Three more teams passed without too much drama and Dean bopped along to dance covers of; “It’s War”, “Tell Me Your Wish”, and “Hot Summer”, all of which received fairly positive reviews.  
The final team stood up nervously and handed Taemin their CD, before falling into the rough approximation of a starting formation Dean recognized easily.  
SHINee’s “Ring Ding Dong”.  
“This is gonna be a slaughter.”  
Dean murmured almost silently to himself as the music came on.  
Slaughter, Dean reflected, may have been putting mildly,  
The team stumbled through the shakiest dance cover Dean had ever seen. They were off count, slamming into each other, and marking all over the place. Dean stole a glance at the instructors, Taemin had his hands up over his mouth shoulders shaking as if he was trying not to laugh, or cry, Key was simply pinching the bridge of nose as if he had suddenly come down with a nasty migraine.  
Finally the music stopped and the five came to a halt, completely out of formation.  
“I…I don’t even know where begin with that one. Your timing was off, your moves were wrong, you were marking, you even slammed into each other. Bad is pretty much the only word I can think of for it. Did you even rehearse last night?”  
One member of the team muttered something refusing to meet Key’s eye,  
“Would you like to try that again?”  
Key demanded,  
“I said ‘a little bit’”  
The girl repeated, a little bit louder.  
“May I ask why you called an end to your rehearsals when you clearly were not ready to perform?”  
The girl scuffed her toe on the ground,  
“It wasn’t that messy last night, we were in sync and knew the routine, it I guess we just got nervous.”  
Key rolled his eyes,  
“Go sit with the others, but take my advice, you’re not going to get very far if you are too nervous to perform in front of those of us already in the industry.”  
The girl blushed even harder as she made her way back to her bag and took a sip from her water bottle.  
“Get used to these assessments, they’re going to happen a lot, and I expect them to happen with considerably less drama. Your two performance classes are vitally important, if you don’t pass them you will not be invited to audition for the Korean rounds of the show. So we expect you to work hard.”  
With that Key lined them all up, and he and Taemin started counting off a routine slowly allowing the class to follow along.  
Dean fell easily into count his muscles enjoying the familiar burn of the work out. By the end of the class the group were falling into a good rhythm, and Dean was struggling not to grin with pride.  
“Okay everyone, good job today. I look forward to seeing everyone back here tomorrow morning.”  
Over the course of the next two weeks Dean and Cas fell into a good rhythm with their classes, and their room arrangement, Dean even caught himself bantering with Cas a couple of times. They were sitting in the café at lunch time on the Friday of the second week comparing class reports. Dean was shocked when he found himself pleased to see that both he and Cas were ranked in the top ten in all of their classes, and positioned very well for an audition spot.  
“So do you know what you wanna do if you get an audition invitation?”  
Cas took a sip of his coffee and considered the question, as much as he was coming to enjoy Dean’s company he still found himself thinking of Dean as a competitor, and was reluctant to share information with him that could hurt him in the long run.  
“I have considered it yes, and am considering several options.”  
Dean nodded thoughtfully,  
“I have it narrowed down to one or two, I really hope I get a spot, I’d hate for it to end here.”  
Cas quirked an eyebrow at him wondering just how much information he could get out of Dean,  
“What are you considering?”  
“A couple of MBLAQ songs, “It’s War”, and “Stay”.”  
Cas was surprised at the complexity of the two routines,  
“What did you do for your initial audition?”  
“ “Hallelujah” by Jonghyun. You?”  
“ “Paradise Lost” by Ga In.”  
Dean raised an eyebrow at that,  
“Gutsy.”  
Cas nodded,  
“I wanted to stand out.”  
Dean snorted,  
“Didn’t think the pink hair was gonna sell it huh?”  
“I had my doubts.”  
“What are you considering for the next audition?”  
Cas realizes he should have seen this question coming, and stumbles over answering,  
“I was thinking maybe “Something” by Girls Day.”  
Dean hmm’ed as he sipped his coffee,  
“I think you may be approaching this the wrong way.”  
Cas jerked his head up to stare at Dean in shock,  
“How so?”  
“Well you’ve already done one sexy girl group routine, and I have no doubt you were good at it, but do you really want to set yourself up as a one trick pony? I think you should do something different, show that you have the range they’re looking for.”  
Cas opened his mouth to respond sarcastically, then closed it as he considered the wisdom in what Dean said,  
“Why are you helping me?”  
Cas blurted out unable to wrap his head around Dean’s behavior,  
“Why not? If I’m not good enough to win competing against the best, then I’m not good enough to win.”  
“How noble.”  
Cas marveled looking at Dean considering,  
“In that case I think you should do “It’s War”, you’ve proven that you can do sensuous and fluid, now prove that you can also do tough and precise.”  
Dean nodded,  
“I think that could be a good strategy, do you know “Ace” by Taemin? I think it could suit you.”  
Cas pulled the routine up on you tube on his phone, and watched it silently, when the video ended Cas tapped the corner of his phone against his lower lip as he considered,  
“I think I could make this work, provided I began rehearsing straight away.”  
Dean nodded,  
“I know what you mean, we could share a rehearsal room, help each other out if you want.”  
Cas nodded slowly still not sure how he found himself in an alliance,  
“I would like that.”


	10. Ace- Lee Taemin

Ace

Dean and Cas hurried to the block of practice rooms and found a pretty girl behind a desk,  
“Could we sign out a room please Sweetheart?”  
The girl smiled and handed Dean the clipboard,  
“Sure you can only sign them out for one day though, and you can’t reserve them for consecutive days, but you can make reservations ahead of time.”  
Dean nodded slowly as he thought,  
“Can I sign them out every other day?”  
The girl nodded and Dean turned to Cas,  
“So we’ll just alternate then.”  
Cas nodded and they each took turns signing out room nine for the next week.  
Dean handed the clip board back to the girl behind the desk,  
“Thank you very much Darlin’”  
Dean grinned and wandered off dragging Cas behind him so they could make it to their next block.  
Ten thirty that night saw them both stretching in the rehearsal room chatting amicably,  
“So since I already know most of my routine, I thought we could focus on yours tonight, get you started, what do you think?”  
Cas blinked and nodded slowly still not used to the honor with which Dean was approaching this competition,  
“I would be grateful.”  
Dean pulled the video up on his laptop, and they sat together quietly as they watched Taemin execute the smooth moves. When the video finished Dean stood Cas in front of the mirror and started counting off the routine after a couple of tries Dean stopped and just counted watching,  
“You’re not fluid enough…”  
Dean stepped to stand just behind Cas,  
“Go back to the beginning and let me help you.”  
Dean put on hand on Cas’s shoulder and one hand on his hip and stepped with him through the fluid movements forcing Cas to move slower as opposed to rushing through the moves and making them appear staccato where they should be smooth.  
Cas froze up when Dean put his hands on him, but took a deep breath and reminded himself that this was only to help him, but as they counted the steps together Cas felt himself relaxing more into Dean’s help. When they reached the end of the song Dean let go of Cas and stepped away from him,  
“See that wasn’t so scary was it?”  
Cas turned to consider Dean before answering,  
“No, I suppose not.”  
Dean nodded,  
“Now try it again, like I showed you. I’ll count and jump in if you freeze up again.”  
Cas made it through the first half of the routine without a critique from Dean, but when he sat Dean called out to him,  
“Freeze!”  
Cas froze arm awkwardly arranged around his leg, Dean crouched down by his side and took Cas’s wrists moving his arms through the set, focusing oh how they interacted with his raised leg, Cas felt himself becoming uncomfortable under scrutiny and pulled his wrists away from Dean,  
“Why must you always touch me?”  
Dean raised his hands defensively,  
“Sorry man, just trying to help.”  
“Can you not help without touching me?”  
Dean shrugged,   
“I suppose, if that will make you more comfortable.”  
Cas stayed silent for a moment staring at Dean,  
“Are you gay?”  
He found himself blurting out, and Dean stared at Cas silent in shock,  
“What?”  
Cas blushed and Dean flopped down next to him with a sigh,  
“Would it make you feel better if I was?”  
Cas opened his mouth to retort, then closed it as he considered Dean’s question,  
“Not if it was a lie, though it would explain why you always want to touch me.”  
Dean roughly scrubbed his hands over his face and sighed,  
“To tell you the truth I’ve never thought about it. Do I need a label?”  
Cas shrugged,  
“I guess not, but we do seem to pick them up.”  
Dean looked at Cas and cocked his head to side clearly considering something,  
“Dude just ask what you want to ask, whatever it was you were hiding behind asking me if I’m gay.”  
“You’re perceptive.”  
Cas muttered wondering whether or not to bite the bullet,  
“Are you attracted to guys?”  
Cas muttered staring firmly at his shoes,  
“Am I attracted to guys or am I attracted to you, which is it?”  
Cas refused to look up from the spot of floor between his sneakers,  
“I think you know which one.”  
Dean rolled his eyes and was careful to keep his voice soft as he answered Cas,  
“Fine then, in order; Yes, I have found myself attracted to certain guys along with certain girls, though not frequently. I do not currently find myself attracted to you. Was that what you wanted to hear?”  
“I don’t want you to be attracted to me.”  
Cas whispered,  
“Well then no worries.”  
Cas still couldn’t make himself look up,  
“I’m not totally sure I want anybody to be attracted to me.”  
Cas muttered and Dean shrugged,  
“That’s perfectly fine.”  
Cas isn't sure how he went from staring at his shoes to screaming; but he hears himself as if from some great distance,  
“How can that be fine? I lack a basic biological urge! I am a freak! Not because of my hair or my clothes, but because of what I am! I am neutered freak!”  
Dean leaped to his feet and took a step back so he didn’t crowd Cas and freak him out even more,  
“Whoa Cas…Cas take a deep breath…”  
Cas started hyperventilating, and Dean stepped towards him and caught Cas’s face between his hands,  
“Cas you need to breathe, try and breathe with me, c’mon in…out…in…out…”  
Dean kept repeating himself in a soft monotone, as Cas tried to follow him taking ragged breaths and shaking against his hands. Cas’s breathing slowed down, getting closer to normal, and Dean smiled,  
“Good, good Cas, now sit down against the wall and keep breathing like that.”  
Cas nodded and lowered himself slowly to the ground,  
“Now I’m going to step outside for minute, I’ll be right back.”  
Cas nodded slowly still focusing on his breathing.  
Dean stepped out into the hallway and made his way quickly to the desk for the producer who oversaw the practice rooms for the show,  
“I need a medic in practice room nine, my rehearsal partner had a very bad panic attack.”  
The girl behind the desk nodded, and spoke quickly into the radio on the desk top,  
“Some one will be there shortly.”  
Dean nodded and hurried back to the practice room to find Cas breathing hard, and he went to sit next to him,  
“Someone’s coming to check and make sure you’re okay, you just keep breathing.”  
Cas stared straight ahead wringing his hands and breathing hard, not even seeming to notice that Dean was there.  
Less than five minutes later a medic hurried into the room and shooed Dean away from Cas and knelt at his side,  
“Hey there, can you tell me your name?”  
“Castiel…Novak…”  
Cas managed between breaths, the medic nodded and put a stethoscope to Cas’s chest and concentrated on the sounds there,  
“Well you’re not wheezing, just panicked, so do you think you can calm down on your own, or should I run you to the hospital?”  
Cas shook his head,  
“I’m…fine…”  
The medic nodded,  
“Well I’ll wait a few minutes and if you calm down, great, if not, then we’ll have to reconsider the hospital.”  
Cas nodded and raised his hands to his face pressing his forehead into them and managing to breathe a little slower every few breaths.  
Five minutes later Cas’s breathing had returned to normal and the medic nodded,  
“Be careful the rest of the night, don’t let yourself get worked up again, and you should be fine.”  
Cas nodded,  
“Thank you for your help, but I think I’ll just retire for the evening.”  
The medic nodded and left the room, Cas grabbed his bag and followed behind without so much as a look at Dean.  
Dean stared at the door for a minute after it slammed closed and shook his head,  
“I think peace and quiet just went out the window.”  
Dean muttered to himself and stepped in front of the mirror counting off the steps of his own routine. Dean stayed there the rest of the night, going straight from his practice session to his vocal lesson.  
Dean tried to catch Cas outside of the vocal classroom but Cas simply ignored Dean calling for him and walked away. Dean gave up with two minutes left until class was in session hurrying to take his seat.  
“Today we’re going to do something a little different.”  
Jonghyun began as soon as the clock clicked over to six thirty,  
“Vocals is more than just singing, most idols try to be as diverse as possible, so many learn to rap as well as sing. Now while I am capable of rapping if absolutely necessary, I don’t excel at it, so I’ve brought in a friend to help us with this lesson. Please welcome Choi Minho, also of SHINee.”  
Dean grinned and clapped appreciatively with the rest of the class.  
Minho raised a hand in greeting to the class,  
“Hello everyone, Jonghyun asked me to come in and help you all with the basics of rapping, your schedule will be moved back two hours today so we have enough time for all this. Rapping is a precision art form, its about timing, and diction, but you can’t focus too much on the fundamentals or it makes the whole thing stiff. So everybody please read the words on the board to yourself a couple of times, because its our first exercise.”  
Minho stepped away to fiddle with a CD player as the class read over and over silently; each trying to commit the words to memory.  
“Okay now I’m going to run through this once, and then we’re going to do it as a group, so pay attention when I do it.”  
Minho clicked a button on the remote for the CD player and Jonghyun started off the song singing about his late rent, and when the time came for Minho to rap; the transition was flawless. Dean paid close attention to the way Minho modulated the flow of his words, so he could attempt to replicate it. Minho stopped the music after the first rapped verse.  
“Okay so I hope you were all paying attention, because now I want to hear the whole class do it, relatively in time with each other please.”  
Minho rewound the music and counted into the rapped section, and try as they might the class simply couldn’t stay in time with each other and the music, and Minho soon stopped it with a pained expression on his face.  
“So that was…bad… I’m sorry there’s no way to sugar coat it, lets try that in smaller sections so we can see whose struggling, and not confuse each other.”  
Minho stepped to the bass section, and re-cued the music. By the end of the section the bass singers had managed to stay largely on count, and Dean was pleased that Cas would have nothing to feel embarrassed about after last night’s panic attack.  
Minho nodded and stepped to the tenor section, but had to stop and start a few times to correct people, but largely the section came through unscathed, and Dean was pleased to not have required correction, but the situation with Cas kept him from really enjoying it.  
When Minho stepped to the alto section, a number of the girls began to look nervous, and sure enough that section hadn’t made it four lines into the section before Minho stopped the music,  
“You guys are rushing, and trying to make each word the same length, they’re not slow down and go with the music.”  
He rewound the music and counted them in again, but they didn’t make it much further the second time around.  
“Okay I know I said slow down, but you can’t be slower than the music, if you can keep time singing you can keep time rapping. Again.”  
The third time around most of the section was catching on, but for one girl who was clearly still struggling.  
“Okay we’re going to do this one more time, read along with the lyrics on the board, and keep time.”  
They tried again, but the same girl was still struggling, tripping over her words, an losing her place in the music.  
Minho called a halt again but this time addressed her directly,  
“Whats tripping you up? If you tell me I may be able to help you.”  
The girl stared at the board hard for a moment, and then looked at Minho,  
“Its not written like music, I’m trying to read it as music, but its not written that way, so I stumble over it.”  
Minho turned and stared at the board for a moment, before turning back to her,  
“Fair enough.”  
He walked over to a messenger bag leaning against the piano, and rummaged through a binder for a second coming up with a sheet of paper which he streaked a highlighter across a couple of times before handing it to her,  
“Okay let’s try this again.”  
Minho started the music and counted in the section, this time the girl kept up with the rest of the people in the section and was beaming when Minho cut the music,  
“Very good.”  
Minho moved to the sopranos and started off slightly different,  
“Does anybody else need sheet music?”  
One girl tentatively raised her hand and Minho smiled and passed her another sheet of music,  
“Let’s give this a shot.”  
The sheet music seemed to be the missing piece and the sopranos got through on their first try, Minho smiled and nodded before stepping back to address the class,  
“Before we try this as a group again does anybody else want sheet music?”  
A couple of people in the lower vocal ranges raised their hands and Minho handed out sheet music before rewinding the music. Jonghyun sang the lead in again, and this time when the class picked up the rap section except a few rough edges they stayed on key and in time.  
“Much better. Let’s try a Hangul one.”  
Dean felt himself get a little nervous, his pronunciation was decent with practice but just off the cuff might be a bit rougher.  
“I’m going to hand out sheet music this time, so if you will all just excuse me for a moment.”  
Minho took another sheet from his binder and went out into the hall way presumably to request copies, this was confirmed a couple of minutes later when he came back,  
“So it will take about thirty minutes for the copies to be made, and I have been informed that we can’t have dead space in class because it upsets the editing people so we’re going to play a little game. Jonghyun and I will take turns randomly picking someone and they will have to sing a minute of any song connected to K-Pop, a song sung by or covered by a K-Pop artist.”  
Minho paced back and forth for a moment before pointing at a random girl in the back of the room, who sang an adorable one minute cover of A Pink’s “MyMyMy”, which made the whole room smile. Jonghyun stepped up and mimicked Minho by pacing in front of the risers before pointing a boy in the back of the bass section, who shocked everyone by reprising Key’s “Tik Tok” solo.   
It was Minho’s turn again and this time Dean found himself on the end of a pointed finger, taking a deep breath into his diaphragm to steady his nerves he began to sing,  
“Bright lights' fancy restaurants, anything in this world that a man could want…”  
When time was called Dean could have kicked himself for singing a song Jonghyun covered in front of Jonghyun, but was immensely gratified to see the singer smile and nod reassuringly.  
This time when Jonghyun pointed a finger Cas found himself on the end of it, and he began singing with a smirk on his face,  
“Whenever I’m dressed cool my parents put up a fight…”  
The game continued on with one minute covers in both English and Hangul, when a girl tapped on the door and delivered a stack of sheet music to Minho who thanked her graciously.  
Minho distributed the sheet music, and Dean was relieved to see that the words were romanized rather than written in Hangul characters, and began to mouth the words to himself, trying to catch the cadence; he was pleased that Minho had chosen a song he was at least familiar with.  
Minho walked to the piano and started a metronome allowing its click to fill the room, Dean could almost swear that his heart synced up with the metronome, and he read the lyrics to himself in that rhythm.  
“I am going to test you on your ability to perform this rap, individually, and yes this will have the power to affect your class standing. We will start with the person on the far left of the first row of the bass section, and continue from there until we finish with the last person.”  
Minho pointed to the first person in the first row of the bass section and Dean settled down to wait, and out of the corner of his eye noted a slightly panicked expression on Cas’s face.  
Dean allowed his mind to wander to the whole situation with Cas last night and this morning, first Cas kind of, almost, sort of coming out as asexual, then his panic attack, and now his complete determination to avoid Dean. He was snapped out of his thoughts when it came to Cas’s turn. Dean watched Cas steel himself as he walked towards Minho and the metronome.  
Dean found himself hoping that as an EXO fan, Cas had listened to Kai rap on Taemin’s “Pretty Boy” track and had a passing familiarity with the lyrics before he walked into class that morning.  
Minho counted down to the section of the music they were to rap,  
Dean had to fight to hide the grin when he knocked it out of the park despite his rough night the night before, and Dean flashes him a discreet “Fighting” sign as Cas made his way back to his seat, Cas managed a small smile for Dean’s support, before he turned his head away clearly shutting Dean out.  
Dean tried not to grimace as he turned back to watching the auditions and trying to memorize what each person did that was complimented, determined to do well and maintain his class standing, or even improve it, if a couple of key people made mistakes.  
It seemed like both an eternity and an instant before Dean was next, and it was his own nerves he was trying to calm standing in front of Minho and being counted in.  
Forty seconds later it was over and Minho was complimenting him on his pacing and intonation, and even his pronunciation. Dean managed to thank Minho through his shock, and as he made his way back to his seat, Dean felt a little hurt when Cas didn’t acknowledge him.  
Dean had thought that despite the earlier awkwardness between himself and Cas, they were on their way to becoming friends. Dean would be the first to tell you that he didn’t have a lot of friends, so when someone he thought was a friend snubbed him, it really hurt.  
Dean barely registered the rest of the class performing, and was shocked when dismissal time came around  
He was pleased however when they were told they would have their customary thirty minutes between classes, determined to grab a quick shower and change, Dean hit the stairwell at a full sprint, and arrived at his room a mere ninety seconds later, and was in the shower ten seconds after that.  
Dean spent five minutes in the shower when he heard the door open and Cas walk in.  
Dean stepped out the shower and dried off, wondering if Cas was going to talk to him, he was pulling on an athletic shirt over his loose comfortable dance pants when he heard the door open and close, without Cas having said a word. Dean sighed as he tied his sneakers back on and hustled to be in dance class on time.  
When Dean and Cas lined up for dance class, Dean could have sworn that he had found himself in Alaska rather than in the dance room for the chill coming off Cas’s shoulders. When Key entered with Taemin, both were wearing mysterious grins,  
“So before we get started today, I have a little announcement, final audition bids will be handed out this evening at the end of your final class. Congratulations to those who make it, and even if you didn’t everybody here did a great job in the time they were here.”  
The whole class could move through the stretching routine in their sleep at this point, so Key and Taemin allowed them to chat to the people closest to them while they went through the moves. When they were all standing in line again Taemin let an evil grin steal across his face,  
“Today, we free style. While you won’t be asked to freestyle very often, it does occasionally come up, and when it does it comes up without warning. We’re going to get you ready so you don’t embarrass yourself when it does. So everybody back against the mirror, and I’ll call up the first small group.”  
Dean had no sooner settled against the wall than he was called up with Claire and Bela.  
“So I have my iPod on random, and what you get is what you get, you get ten seconds before you have to do something, and try not to look stupid.”  
Taemin hit the shuffle button on his speaker control and a heavy latin song poured from the speakers,  
“Follow me…”  
Dean muttered taking Claire into his arms,  
“Put your hands on my shoulders Bela and we’ll switch.”  
Bela raised to her toes and placed her hands on Deans shoulders following the sensuous movement of his shoulders as he swung Claire down into a dip, and pulled her firmly against him.  
Claire grinned at Dean as he caught her against him and drew her calf up and down his before retreating back and he stepped forward with Bela at his back. When Claire advanced into Dean, Bela turned her back to his and slid down into the splits, just as she touched the ground Dean turned dramatically, and caught her hands in his, as Claire draped herself across his back kicking her leg up in a quick staccato movement. Dean felt Bela tense in his hands and he pulled hard drawing her back to her feet and in to lean against his chest.   
The music quit abruptly and Dean froze with Claire draped against his back and Bela tucked into his chest.  
“Well your Tango wasn’t perfect, but that’s okay, it was entertaining, you worked well together, and you didn’t look like idiots, so I’d say it’s a pass.”  
Dean, Bela, and Claire all smiled at him and murmured their thanks to Taemin before settling down against the glass again.  
“Not bad Winchester.”  
Dean rolled his eyes,  
“Thanks Balthazar, think you can hack it?”  
The man shrugged,  
“Dunno, I plan to make idiot work for me though, I’m not much of a dancer, and I don’t care if people laugh at me.”  
Dean hmm-ed as he turned back to watch the next group be selected and couldn’t help but smirk when Balthazar was the third person picked for the group. His smirk grew dirtier when a disco number pumped through the speakers. Following Balthazar’s lead the group embraced the Saturday Night Fever vibe, and left everyone wondering where the white leisure suit was.  
“Well I’m not sure you didn’t totally look like idiots, but you entertained people and you embraced the music, so it worked. Good job.”  
Balthazar placed his hands together and nodded his thanks to Taemin before sitting back next to Dean,  
“See mate, idiot works for me.”  
Dean raised his hands,  
“You said it dude.”  
Balthazar stuck his tongue out at Dean, pretending to be offended, and Taemin’s next group shimmed their way through a Cyndi Lauper song,  
“It was cute but cute won’t always get you by. There was no real technique to it and there should have been at least one or two elements of technique.”  
The girls nodded and sat down by the mirror, the next group was called and Cas was the first selected for that group, when the music started to play it was a heavy rock song that pounded in your blood, Cas gestured to other two to follow him and stepped forward to take point, his body became one with the music, his movements were short and staccato when the music was, and flowed with the music when it wasn’t, it became a compelling performance, something no one could tear their eyes away from, when the music stopped Taemin stared at them for a moment before speaking,  
“Yes.”  
That was it. A silence hung over the room, and Taemin turned to call the next group, and Cas sat down with a confused expression on his face and Claire leaned over to him,  
“Why are you so stressed? You basically just had the best dancer in K-Pop tell you that you were perfect, enjoy it.”  
Cas nodded and grinned at Claire, allowing a little pride to creep onto his face,  
“I’ll be happy when I get a bid.”  
Claire rolled her eyes,  
“You’re an idiot; of course you’re going to get a bid.”  
Cas shrugged and turned to watch the rest of the class.  
When Dean saw Cas talking to Claire it was like a kick to the gut, it was proof that Cas wasn’t cutting out everyone. Just him.  
When Dean was focused on the dancing; Cas stole a glance at him and sighed, telling himself again that he doesn’t have to feel guilty for looking out for himself in the competition, and Dean knew too much about him already, he couldn’t be vulnerable around him anymore.  
He told himself that Dean didn’t look hurt, he told himself that since Dean wasn’t attracted to him he couldn’t care, one way or another, if Cas spent time with him. He told himself that they weren’t friends, just worthy adversaries. But most of all he told himself that he wasn’t doing this because he was scared, scared of what he had admitted to Dean.  
And he absolutely ignored the little voice inside his head that told him he was lying.


	11. Rum Pum Pum- F(x)

Rum Pum Pum

When the end of the day rolled around Dean couldn’t keep still he was so nervous; and he could tell his teacher was trying to drag out the end of class waiting for the bids. The terrifying thought occurred to him, that maybe nobody in this class had received a bid, but then he remembered Cas in dance class that day and he knew that if nobody else would get a bid, he would.  
A producer knocked on the door and the whole class did a flawless impression of meerkats as they popped their heads up and turned to look at the door.  
Their teacher had a quick, hushed conversation with the producer before nodding and heading back to he front of the class, followed in perfect unison by every head in the room.  
“So evidently the activities in today's classes have drastically altered the standings so he bids will be delivered overnight to you. So class dismissed and good luck everybody.”  
Dean headed back to the room, felling completely alone despite Cas trailing four feet behind him the whole way. When they got into the room the silence seemed to overtake the space.  
“Dean?”  
Cas whispered psyching himself up for what he was going to say. Dean turned to Cas not really sure how this was going to go,  
“Yeah?”  
Cas shuffled his feet,  
“I appreciate your help last night, but I don’t think we should rehearse together, its not strategic. If we know the strengths and weaknesses of each others routines; it puts us at a disadvantage to each other, and in the end only one person can win this competition…”  
Cas trailed off at the thunderous expression on the other man's face face,  
“I’m sorry ...”  
Cas offered, he hadn’t expected Dean to be so upset, hadn’t expected him to be so angry, and he found himself talking without a filter,  
“My not wanting to work with you shouldn’t be taken as an insult, it means that I firmly believe that you will receive a bid, and pass the auditions. This is a compliment to your talent.”  
Dean’s face went blank as he processed what Cas said, when he spoke his voice was a monotone,  
“I understand. The room is signed out to you tonight, enjoy your rehearsal, I gotta get some sleep anyways.”  
Dean pulled his shirt off and yanked back the covers on his bed, leaning over to arrange his pillows, Cas reached for Dean’s shoulder before dropping his hand inches before he would have brushed his skin,  
“I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you Dean.”  
Dean shrugged,  
“No worries man I’m fine.”  
Cas nodded and turned to pick up his dance bag and paused at the door, he couldn’t make himself turn around to say it, but he knew it needed to be said,  
“Thank you for last night Dean, for getting the medic and making me breathe. It was kind.”  
Dean froze as he was about to lay down,  
“No problem, and you know I won’t tell anyone, about your panic attack, or about our conversation; none of it ever has to go any further than last night.”  
Dean and Cas stood with their backs to each other words filling up the space between them,  
“I appreciate that. Good night Dean.”  
“Goodbye Cas.”  
Cas nodded firmly to himself and stepped out the door, both he and Dean couldn’t help but hear something final in the way the door slammed closed between them.  
Dean was sitting on his bed working himself through the pronunciation of the lyrics for “Its War” by MBLAQ when there was a gentle tap at the door. Dean threw a t-shirt on a padded over to the door and pulled it open to find the same producer he had fallen into in the now infamous Purple vs. White rehearsal room fight. Dean smiled glad to see her up and around,  
“How are you feeling? I’ve been trying to keep an eye out for you to make sure you were okay.”  
“I’m fine, some bruises, some aspirin, some rest, I’m good as new. But I actually came to give you this.”  
She extended out a purple envelope with Dean’s name written on the outside,  
“Congratulations Mr. Winchester, you have received a bid to participate in the next round of auditions finishing tied for number two overall in your creative classes.”  
Dean couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face,  
“Thank you very much ma’am.”  
The producer nodded,  
“Do you happen to know where Mr. Novak is? I have a bid for him as well.”  
Dean smiled,  
“Well he deserves one; I think he’s in rehearsal room nine.”  
The producer nodded,  
“Thank you Mr. Winchester.”  
“Not a problem ma’am.”  
The producer waved over her shoulder as she made her way down the hall towards the elevators, while Dean shut the door and counted to ten before letting out a whoop and lunging for his phone.  
He dialed Jo, trying to remind himself that he is an adult and adults don’t bounce, Jo answered on the second ring, despite the late hour,  
“Dean! Is everything okay?”  
“Jo they handed out audition bids, for the big audition, the one that takes you to Korea if you pass.”  
“Oh my gosh! And? Don’t keep me in suspense!”  
“I tied for second overall in my creative classes, and was awarded an audition bid.”  
Dean had to hold his phone away from ear as Jo let out a shriek of excitement,  
“That’s wonderful Dean, I’m so proud of you! Hold on I’m going to tell Sam.”  
Dean snorted,  
“Isn’t Sam asleep?”  
Jo started giggling, which was all the answer that Dean needed, he rolled his eyes as he listened to Jo’s suppressed giggles, there was the soft creak of door hinges, and the soft thud of Jo springing onto Sam, and then there was Sam yelling,  
“Jo I swear if this is about the monster under your bed, you will be mucking stables for a week!”  
“Jerk. Dean’s on the phone, but maybe I won’t share my precious big brother phone call with you.”  
“Give me that phone Jo.”  
Sam demanded, and Dean could almost see Jo sticking her tongue out at Sam,  
“No I don’t share with meanies.”  
Dean could see the whole scene in his mind he could see Sam throwing the covers back and reaching for Jo to steal the phone away, he heard Jo squeal and could see her jumping off the bed and dancing away with the phone and Sam lunging after her, finally he heard Sam pretend to groan as he hefted Jo over his shoulder, and pulled the phone from her hand.  
“Hey bro.”  
Dean grinned  
“Hey Sammy. So apparently I’m awesome.”  
“Who told you that lie?”  
Dean chuckled  
“My second place ranking over all in my creative classes, and my invitation to the next round of auditions.”  
Sam faked a heavy sigh,  
“That’s all you need people stroking your ego.”  
“Well I happen to like having my ego stroked.”  
Sam laughed,  
“I am so not touching that one.”  
Dean rolled his eyes,  
“Wimp, well I have stuff to do tonight, an audition to prepare for, so I’ll call you guys sometime in the next couple of days.”  
“Alright, love you brother.”  
“Love y’all.”  
Dean set the phone down with a soft happy smile before returning to his sheet music.  
Cas was so into the music he barely heard the knock on the door of the rehearsal room. He wasn’t actually sure what made him notice the soft sound over the music, but as he made his way to the door he tried not to consider who was on the other side of it. When he opened it to find the producer he smiled nervously,  
“Is there a problem? Was my music too loud?”  
The producer smiled,  
“Are you Mr. Novak?”  
Cas nodded nervously,  
“Am I in some kind of trouble?”  
The producer waved a hand in an elegant movement,  
“No of course not, I came to give you this.”  
She held a purple envelope with his name written on the outside to him.  
“Congratulations, you tied for second place overall in both of your creative classes, and as such have been offered a bid to the next round of auditions. Congratulations.”  
Cas smiled down at the envelope,  
“Thank you.”  
The producer smiled.  
“I’ll let you get back to your rehearsal, good night Mr. Novak.”  
Cas stared at the envelope in his hand and smiled before tucking it into his dance bag and restarting the music.  
The next morning there was a meeting in the conference room for all the contestants, and the room was filled with tension between the people who had received purple envelopes and those who hadn’t. Dean was pleased when he made his was to the seats reserved for those with purple envelopes he was pleased when he was joined by Bela, Claire, and Balthazar.  
“Morning y’all.”  
Claire and Bela grinned while Balthazar groaned, early mornings, as far as Balthazar was concerned, had been contrived by the devil,  
“Dean! I knew you would rank.”  
Claire exclaimed, and Dean slung an arm around her shoulders,  
“Well I am amazing.”  
Claire snorted and shoved Dean lightly, while Bela chuckled at their play. Cas made his way to the table clutching his purple envelope tightly,  
“Good morning.”  
Everyone turned to Cas, and Dean’s face immediately went blank,  
“Morning.”  
Everyone chorused back, and if Dean’s tone was flat, no one commented on it. The teachers all filed in to sit down on the on the stage, everyone took this as a cue to find their seats and wait to see what happened next.  
“Good morning all, as you can all see we have divided you into two groups today. Sixteen of you have purple envelopes, the rest of you do not. If you have not received a purple envelope, unfortunately you will not be continuing on with the competition this year, we have people outside who will assist you with your travel arrangements home, and we thank you for coming out, and hope you will try out again next year.”  
The producer stopped speaking as all those without envelopes slowly made their way out of the room, and when the door closed the producer turned back to the group still seated,  
“Congratulations to those that are moving on. Now there are sixteen of you here with envelopes, and we only have ten seats on the plane to Korea. So our auditions will eliminate six of you. Today is Tuesday and the auditions will be Friday. I will call you in order of your overall class placement, and you may sign up for an audition slot, and your song. Each song may only be used once, so I hope you all have back ups. In overall first place, Amy Pond.”  
A pretty bubbly red head made her way blushing from the back of the room to the podium with the sign up sheet, filled in her name and song choice, and made her way back to her seat to the polite applause of her competitors.  
“She was in my vocal lessons I’m not surprised she took first.”  
Claire whispered to Dean, as he watched Amy move through the room graceful even in her bashfulness.  
“We had an exact tie for second place, Castiel Novak and Dean Winchester, so they may decide among themselves in what order they sign up.”  
Dean and Cas turned to stare at each other before Cas inclined his head and motioned to the podium. Dean nodded curtly and stepped to the list. When he got there he noticed that Amy had signed up for the last slot, which was both strategic and a gamble, because if they handed out tickets as they went, you ran the risk of them running out before you even performed, but if they were handing out tickets after all the auditions then you would be the last person in their mind. Dean decided to follow her example and sign up second to last, when he moved over to sign up for his song he was shocked that the pretty bubbly girl had signed up to do SHINee’s Lucifer. As Dean filled in his song he felt the first tingle of real self doubt he had since stepping into the first audition. This cute girl was hard core, which would make her very likeable.  
Cas followed behind Dean and selected the next spot back from the closing act.  
When Cas returned to his seat the producer smiled and stepped back to the microphone,  
“In third place we have Claire.”  
Dean raised an eyebrow at Claire,  
“Don’t believe in last names?’  
Claire winked at him,  
“Don’t need one.”  
Claire made her way to the podium and filled in her name and song with a flourish before strutting back to her seat.  
Key was grinning at Claire’s over the top antics as the producer turned to the mic to announce fourth,  
“In fourth place Bela Talbot.”  
Bela flicked her hair off her shoulder and sauntered to the podium as if the room were catwalk and everyone had a camera aimed at her.  
When she had retaken her seat the next name was called,  
“In fifth place, Kali Mahakali.”  
Dean saw one of the girls from the decimated White team make her way almost tentatively to the podium and add her name, but something in her eyes made Dean believe that the good girl appearance was an act after all the fireworks with her disgraced former teammates.  
“In sixth place Balthazar Roche.”  
Balthazar grinned that cocky little grin that always made Bela grimace and Dean smirk as he sauntered to the podium with an exaggerated roll to his hips.  
“He placed higher than I thought he would.”  
Claire muttered to herself as she watched Balthazar’s progress across the room.  
“In seventh place, Lenore Benson.”  
Dean watched a delicate girl, who looked more like she should be sitting in a regency painting than performing on a modern stage, make her way gracefully across the room and add her name to the list.  
“In eighth place, Emily Jorgeson.”  
Emily moved like flowing water through all the scattered chairs and tables, and something in her face and in the way she held herself reminded Dean of all the ancient paintings of girls about to be sacrificed, beautiful, noble, and just a little bit tragic.  
“In ninth place, Elizabeth Lafitte.”  
A brunette wearing a t-shirt that read ‘laissez les bon temps rouler’ French for ‘let the good times roll’ which was basically a neon signboard for Dean to identify her as a Louisiana girl.  
“In tenth place, Maggie Zeddmore.”  
Dean watched a girl who seemed tailor made for this competition at the podium, she was beautiful, Asian, and moved like a girl born in dance class, but, he reassured himself, she was only in tenth place.  
“In eleventh place, Leah Gideon.”  
The next girl was dressed very modestly, but the way she moved was anything but modest, and Dean felt slightly oily just from looking at her.  
“In twelfth place, Jeb Dexter.”  
A boy who couldn’t be more than sixteen, and deeply channeling either Criss Angel or Dave Navarro, slouched his way to the podium, and scrawled on the list.  
“In thirteenth place, Donnie Finnerman.”  
The boy who trudged in work boots to the podium was made noticeable by being completely and totally normal. He wore no makeup to accentuate either his dark skin or eyes, and was dressed in jeans and t-shirt over work boots, he seemed not to care about the traditional flamboyance in the industry and seemed comfortable just being himself.  
Dean found something he could really respect in that.  
“In fourteenth place, James Frampton.”  
The next person to pretend not to squirm under scrutiny and live for the smattering of applause was the quintessential pretty boy, and Dean found himself glaring and hoping he didn’t come complete with a Southern accent and charm as well.  
“And finally in fifteenth place Sparrow Jennings.”  
The final contestant in the exclusive purple envelope club was tall hippy girl with long red hair, who made Dean feel calm just by being near her.  
“Congratulations to our top sixteen. Now tickets will be handed out after we have seen all the auditions, and will be awarded based on the average score from our four judges, you will be scored by each judge out of a possible one hundred points. Each of you have been assigned a practice room, and time slots with our vocal and dancing teachers. So practice hard, don’t neglect your health, and good luck.”  
The whole group rose in unison and filed towards the doors, heading to gather sheet music and change into dance clothes, and set up in practice rooms.  
Cas and Dean found themselves walking the same familiar path to their room and found themselves again in awkward silence,  
“May I ask which slot you selected?”  
Cas asked trying to break the silence,  
“Slot fifteen. You?”  
Dean responded in a polite tone with absolutely no inflection, Cas fought not to sigh,  
“Fourteen.”  
Dean hmm-ed as he keyed open the door and made his way to his side of the room.  
“Dean are we not friends anymore?”  
Cas asked trying to keep the hurt from his voice,  
“You said it yourself, only one person can win this, we’re competitors, and it wouldn’t be strategic to get too close.”  
Cas flinched at his own words in Dean’s mouth,  
“Yes I did say that. Or something very near it at least.”  
Cas murmured as he finished packing in things into his dance bag and headed towards the door,  
“It did not mean that I don’t wish to see you do well here Dean.”  
The door clicked closed behind Cas and Dean hurled his dance bag onto his bed and began shoving things in viciously.  
“Well make up your damn mind then. One day we’re friends and we’re helping each other, the next day, we’re competitors and shouldn’t speak or be in each others presence too long, you can’t have it both ways Castiel.”  
Dean ranted as he finished shoving all his things in his dance bag and stormed towards the exit. He stopped just inside the door and took a deep breath wiping his face of all negative emotions before he stepped into the cameras’ domain.  
He no sooner stepped outside then he was in view of no fewer than three cameras, he smiled and waved as he headed towards the stair wells that would lead to the floor with all the practice rooms.  
When he arrived at the door with his name on the front, and he let himself in with the key that he found in his purple envelope, he busied himself setting up his stereo and taping his sheet music to the mirror so he can read the music as he moves. An hour later Dean was counting sequences with the lyrics, moving only to a metronome.  
When Cas let himself into his practice room he turned around and stared at the space he had to himself, he set up his stereo and started his music trying to both watch objectively and learn the routine. He noticed the tension in his arm when he was threading it through his leg, and his mind flashed back to Dean patiently helping him with each individual pose and stringing them together in what seemed like one fluid motion. Cas was used to routines with sharp staccato movements, but this one was fluid. But if Cas was being honest with himself, he was scared, he had shoved Dean away and burned the bridge and now he was in this completely alone.  
Cas told himself that he had to push Dean away, that he was getting too close, that he would use the things he was learning about Cas against him, that he would out Cas as…  
“Out me as what?”  
Cas hissed to himself and slapped his hands on the mirror and stared his reflection straight in the eyes,  
“I am asexual.”  
Cas managed to whisper to himself in the mirror, before leaning his forehead against the cool glass.  
“I am asexual.”  
It was still whispered, but this time a touch of convention bled into his tone.  
“I am asexual.”  
Cas managed conviction, even if it was somewhat tinged with fear.  
Cas took a step back from the mirror and looked at himself,  
“So what does this change? I am still a talented singer and dancer, I still love K-Pop, I am still who I am, does lacking the desire to know someone carnally change any of that?”  
Cas looked himself up and down,  
“So I am asexual. So it may be something that doesn’t need to be in the public eye, but it is not something I have to be ashamed of. I am asexual.”  
Cas’s strong expression in the mirror crumbled,  
“Now if only I believed that.”  
Cas turned away from the mirror suddenly disgusted with the sight of himself, disgusted with his abnormality, disgusted that he had finally admitted to himself that he was different, asexual, and he was desperately trying to separate the word ‘asexual’ from the phrase ‘neutered freak’ that seemed to crop up in his father’s voice.  
After a few minutes lost in thought; Cas desperately scrubbed his hands across his face,  
“I do not have time for this.”  
Cas restarted the music and tried to focus on his rehearsal.  
The next time Dean looked at a clock it was eight at night, and he hadn’t eaten or stopped for more than a few minutes all day,  
Dean dug around in his dance bag coming up with a cliff bar and a bottle of Gatorade and settled against the wall with his sheet music, when there was a tap at the door.  
Dean managed to push his tired body to the door to find Key and Taemin standing there with smiles,  
“Congratulations Dean.”  
Key was smiling and Dean managed a tired smile,  
“Thank you Sir.”  
Key laughed as he stepped into the room,  
“So we’re here to watch your routine and give you some pointers, we have about an hour to spend with you so let’s not waste any of it.”  
Dean nodded and walked to the stereo to cue up his music and assumed the starting position. Dean tried to really focus on every movement, and when the music ended and he held the final pose Key was looking at him oddly,  
“Dean, do you not enjoy this song, or what you are doing?”  
Dean looked at Key in confusion,  
“I do.”  
Taemin was the next to speak up,  
“You just looked very stiff, like you were forcing it. Your moves were technically correct, you just didn’t seem to enjoy it.”  
Dean nodded,  
“Maybe I’m trying too hard, I just don’t want to drop the ball this close.”  
Taemin smiled,  
“Relax and let yourself enjoy this. Performing is supposed to be a high.”  
Dean nodded,  
“Can we go again?”  
Key restarted the music, and this time Dean let himself get out of his own head and just flow with the music.  
When the song ended Key and Taemin were smiling,  
“Much better. Your moves were still on point, but there was emotion there behind this performance.”  
Dean grinned,  
“Thank you very much.”  
Key nodded,  
“So Hyung and Minho will be around to you tomorrow to help you with the vocal side of things. But I think you’re going to do very well.”  
Dean bowed at the waist a full ninety degrees,  
“Thank you for your instruction.”  
Key and Taemin returned the polite gesture with shallower bows as befitted instructors,  
“You were a joy to instruct.”  
When they left Dean he had a smile on his face.  
It was midnight when Key and Taemin tapped on the door of Cas’s rehearsal room, and he was incredibly nervous when he opened the door and let them in.  
“Good morning.”  
Cas managed a smile burying his personal crisis under layers of professionalism, Cas had to admit he was impressed, Key and Taemin looked as fresh and energetic now after going from room to room for hours on end with more still to go, as they had in the meeting the morning before.  
“So we’re here to watch your routine, and give you some pointers where we can.”  
Taemin grinned,  
“I promise not to be too much of an insane perfectionist with your cover of my routine.”  
Cas tried to smile, but really just felt his stomach plummet.  
“Thank you, I think.”  
Taemin grinned mischievously and leaned against the mirror as Key fiddled with the music.  
Cas let himself flow with the music trying to make the entire routine look like one fluid movement. When the music stopped he tried desperately to keep the panic out of his face.  
“Hmm, not bad, you could stand to be a little more fluid, but I’ll go through it a couple of times with you and we’ll get you there.”  
Cas smiled and inclined his head,  
“Thank you.”  
Taemin lined up next to Cas so that he could see him in the mirror and began to count the routine showing Cas little tricks to make the routine smooth.  
By the end of his hour Cas was feeling a lot more comfortable with the routine, when he opened the door for Key and Taemin he bowed respectfully,  
“Thank you for your time.”  
Cas ran through the routine a couple more times locking the tricks that Taemin showed him into his understanding of the routine before heading to bed with his sheet music and headphones.  
When Dean woke up the next morning he was propped up against the mirror in his rehearsal room, he glanced at his phone and groaned when it read four am,  
“Ugh I need a shower, and real food.”   
Dean pushed himself to his feet, and stretched his body before shuffling his way out the door and towards the elevator slumping against the wall as he waited for the car.  
When Dean finally drug himself to the shower the hot water on his back felt like heaven.  
Thirty minutes later Dean climbed out of the shower feeling like he was something almost resembling human.  
“Now food, there has got to be a decent twenty four hour place in New York.”  
Dean muttered to himself pulling on a fresh set of clothes.  
He took off out of the hotel and wandered the immediate area until he found an all night Chinese place and pulled the door open inhaling happily.  
An hour and a giant plate of lo mein noodles later Dean felt ready to plunge back in, six am saw him back in his rehearsal room working on pairing up words to motions.  
At seven am Cas’s alarm went off and woke him from a nightmare where he fell flat on his face at the next round of auditions. Cas shook his head as he headed towards the shower, he glanced at Dean’s empty and obviously un-slept in bed and shook his head,  
“Evidently he missed the part about not neglecting our health.”  
Cas was in his rehearsal room at eight am for the official start of the day sitting cross legged on the floor with his sheet music spread around him.   
Cas was working himself through smooth beats of Ace when there was a soft tap at the door, when he got up to open it Jonghyun was standing there with a smile on his face,  
“So you have me for the next hour to help you with your vocals. Minho and I split up this hour, because your song has no rap, and there is someone doing a song that is primarily rap, so it was more efficient this way.”  
Cas nods,  
“If that’s what works best for you.”  
Jonghyun smiled,  
“Well then lets get to work.”  
Cas handed Jonghyun a copy of his sheet music nervously, seeing as Jonghyun has cheerfully proclaimed himself Taemin’s number one fan boy, but he got the dance past Taemin yesterday so how bad could this be?  
“Well let’s hear where you are.”  
Jonghyun started the metronome and counted Cas into the music. He made ten seconds before Jonghyun stopped him.  
“Your pronunciation is decent, but you’re off key, let’s try that again.”  
Cas backed up to the beginning of the song and tried again but was stopped about twenty seconds in,  
“You’re rushing the lyrics. Again.”  
Cas tried to keep his frustration out of the tone of the song, but evidently he didn’t succeed very well if Jonghyun’ next comment was anything to go on.  
“Your tone is too hard for the song. Again.”  
Cas took a deep breath and tried to soften his voice,  
“Now you’re too slow.”  
It was a dozen false starts before Jonghyun let him finish an entire verse.  
“I think this song is going to be tricky for you since you’re a bass. You have to work hard to keep your tone soft and stay on key, but you’re getting there, and there’s no reason you can’t do this and do it well.”  
Cas smiled,  
“Thank you very much.”  
Jonghyun smiled and waved over his shoulder before heading out the door.  
Cas kept working on his vocals trying to keep everything Jonghyun said in mind. He kept stopping himself when his voice drifted too low, or his tone became too hard; and found himself more aware of his little mistakes. His annoyance with Jonghyun was evaporating as he got a little better with each start and stop.  
It was coming on noon when Jonghyun tapped on the door of Dean’s rehearsal room, and let himself in trailed by Minho,  
“Good afternoon.”  
Dean greeted his instructors politely with a broad grin on his face.  
“So we’re here to help you with your vocals, Minho is trailing along because not a lot of people are rapping and he got bored.”  
“Well you’re more than welcome here.”  
Minho grinned,  
“Well show us what you’ve got then.”  
Jonghyun started the metronome and counted Dean into his music. He managed a grand total of twenty seconds,  
“Stop! Where’s the emotion? The person singing this song is angry, hurt, he’s been betrayed, I hear none of that in your voice, don’t be afraid to get little harsh.”  
Dean nodded and tried again,  
“Stop! You’re still too soft, your pronunciation is good and you’re in key, but the emotion isn’t there, put yourself in that mindset. In art being vulnerable is not a bad thing.”  
“I’ll try.”  
Dean started again and thought about Cas shutting him away, throwing his friendship in the gutter, and he let that flow into his music.  
“Better. You have to get angry with this song.”  
Dean let the anger color the chorus, heard himself declaring war and was shocked to find he meant it.  
“Very good. Some of your words you’re letting drag too long, you have to remember that lot of this song is staccato, and keep that in your phrasing.”  
Dean nodded and repeated the chorus making sure to end his words with some sharpness, and was elated when Jonghyun and Minho were nodding.  
“Yes keep it like that, let’s try it with the music.”  
Minho wandered over to the stereo, and held up a CD,  
“Do you have an instrumental track?”  
Dean nodded,  
“Track two.”  
Minho fiddled with the controls for a second until the instrumental track started then made his way to lean against the mirror with Jonghyun.  
Dean found himself moving through the choreography by instinct as Minho and Jonghyun watched the whole way through the track without comment. When the track ended Dean found himself more nervous than he thought he would be,  
“Well the moves seemed instinctual, not forced, and were in time with the music, so that’s good, but you lost some of the sharpness when you put it all together, so you need to work on that, we have a few more minutes, try it one more time.”  
Dean walked over to the CD player and restarted the music using the couple of seconds delay to assume the start position in the center of the practice room. This time he trusted his body to remember the routine and concentrated on keeping he lyrics sharp and in key, this time when the music cut; both Jonghyun and Minho were smiling.  
“That’s much better, keep on with that and you’ll do very well in the audition.”  
Dean bowed respectfully to the two men,  
“Thank you for your instruction.”  
Jonghyun and Minho returned his bow with smiles,  
“Good luck Mr. Winchester.”  
On he final day of rehearsals both Dean and Cas spent the day getting used to moving in the outfits they had chosen for the audition, polishing any rough edges, and went to bed early determined to have a solid nights rest behind them.


	12. Stay-MBLAQ

Stay

When the alarm went off, by mutual agreement, at five thirty Friday morning both Dean and Cas woke easily as neither had been deeply asleep to begin with, the alarm was slapped into silence and the resulting lack of sound was deafening.  
A few minutes later Dean managed to finally speak,  
“You can shower first if you want, takes you longer anyways.”  
Cas blinked in surprise,  
“Thank you, I will endeavor to hurry.”  
Dean snorted from his bed in the darkness,  
“Why start now dude?”  
Cas smiled,  
“All the same.”  
Dean snorted again,  
“Dude I set the alarm an hour earlier than we needed so you wouldn’t have to try to hurry and wind up taking longer.”  
Cas blinked from the bathroom door at Dean’s bed,  
“That was highly intelligent, all the while showing a certain lack of faith.”  
That elicited a quiet chuckle that Dean silenced quickly,  
“Whatever dude, just please leave some non-pink towels for me.”  
“I will make a point of it.”  
Cas closed the door behind himself, and looked into the mirror thinking of the basic camaraderie that had managed to weasel its way back in to the radio silence, it may not be a friendship, or even the easy banter they had before but it was enough.  
Cas sorted through the towels in the room selecting the two largest and laying them on the linen rack for Dean before he hopped under the hot water, and tried not to be glacially slow.  
Forty five minutes later Cas had the bathroom door open and was blow drying his hair, Dean made a big show of looking at the clock and making ‘not bad’ gesture with his shoulders and head. Cas chuckled and focused his attention back on his hair styling it with brush and blow drier until it was dry enough to take product to. Dean was digging through his side of the closet obviously searching for something in particular.  
“Need some help?”  
Dean was buried in the clothes up to his shoulders,  
“Too much stuff, not enough space. I know its in here somewhere.”  
Cas nodded,  
“I’m sure it is, I am done with the bathroom whenever you’re ready.”  
“ ‘Kay.”  
Dean grunted tossing a pair of boots onto the ground beside him, and Cas paused to admire them. Shiny black they looked as if they would lace all the way to Dean’s knees,  
“Very nice.”  
Dean grunted yanking hangers around.  
A few seconds later a pair of blood red leather pants were tossed on top of the boots, and Cas shook his head and left Dean to duel with his closet.  
Dean added a plain white V-neck t-shirt and a leather jacket to the pile, before sticking his head and shoulders back into the closet, digging to the very back, he emerged a few seconds later with a triumphant grin on his face, and a pendant on a black cord dangling from his fingers.  
“Knew it was in there somewhere.”  
He muttered to himself before swooping the pile of clothes by his feet up and dumping the whole thing on his bed before heading into the bathroom to shower. Cas smiled into the mirror as he was working on his make up.  
Dean jumped into the shower and scrubbed up and washed up quickly, very used to having a shared shower, highly limited hot water, and a younger sister somewhat prone to violence.  
Ten minutes later he had a blow drier aimed at his short hair and was humming under in his breath as he planned his makeup for the day.   
“How do you do that?”  
Dean turned from the mirror to look at Cas curiously,  
“Do what?”  
“Shower so quickly.”  
Dean chuckled a little,  
“Our farm in Texas has an ancient water heater, so the hot water is pretty limited, and my little sister Jo is not opposed to hauling you out of the shower if she thinks you’re using it all up and she’ll be stuck with a cold shower. You learn to shower fast.”  
Cas smiled,  
“I think my sister may have done something very similar if faced with a cold shower, at least one of my making.”  
Dean hmm-ed,  
“Let’s hear it for sisters.”  
He raised the blow dryer in salute before switching it off and heading out of the bathroom.  
Dean took his second towel and began vigorously drying his legs,   
“Cas can you toss me the baby powder?”  
Cas carefully handed Dean the bottle not wanting it to burst open and coat the whole room in white.  
“Thanks.”  
Dean gathered up his pants and the baby powder and locked himself in the bathroom muttering under his breath to himself.  
“They make my butt look so good, but putting them on is so awful.”  
A couple of minutes of baby powder and hopping around later Dean opened the door with a triumphant grin on his face.  
“That gets easier every time.”  
Cas shook his head with a grin,  
“You could try putting on pants that fit you.”  
Dean cocked his head at Cas,  
“Then how would people salivate over my luscious booty?”  
Cas snorted inelegantly,  
“Sex appeal is cheap.”  
Dean pulled his shirt on before making a face at Cas,  
“So says Mr. Paradise Lost.”  
Cas shrugged managing a superior expression,  
“Dance is art, leather pants two sizes too small is border line porn.”  
Dean sighed and shook his head,  
“What will you say when I place higher than you with my porn butt?”  
Cas smirked,  
“Never happen.”  
Dean simply smiled mysteriously as he began to fiddle with his own makeup.  
Cas wasn’t sure how to respond to that so he simply dug through his own closet lookingfor the pieces of the outfit he had decided to wear. The outfit he laid out was all white, white slacks, white button up shirt, and white shoes, all of which would contrast with his pink hair and dark makeup.  
Dean was painting strong lines on his face emphasizing the sharp angles of his cheek bones, and making his green eyes smoky and alluring.  
About twenty minutes later Dean was lacing up his boots before he bounced to his feet,  
“Ready to go?”  
Cas nodded and picked up his shoulder bag, and opened the door.  
The finalists returned to the same room where they had signed up for their slot and song, and realized how much bigger it felt with only seating for sixteen.  
The producer stepped to the podium and leaned towards the mic, and you could feel the anticipation in the room spike.  
“We are going to be calling you one by one, after you audition you will not return to this room, when everyone has been seen the scores will be averaged and those with the top ten scores will be invited to Korea. Our flight leaves at five tomorrow morning, so we expect you to be able to leave immediately, if you are not, you will be excused and another contestant will be invited in your place. Now, if Sparrow would follow me we can get started.”  
The hippy girl stood up and her calm aura from the day before seemed to have disappeared and she fidgeted with the edge of the scarf she had tied around her as a top as she made her way to he podium.  
The producer disappeared with the nervous girl, and the aura of nervous anticipation settled over the quiet room.  
“This is going to be a long day.”  
Dean muttered and those sitting around him nodded.  
Dean reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a paper back book that had obviously been read and re-read.  
“Distraction is necessary.”  
Dean stuck his nose into his book and tried to lose himself. Everyone around him was pulling out something to distract themselves with, and trying to pretend they weren’t freaking out.  
About five minutes later Sparrow was apparently finished and the next person got up and followed the producer,  
“I could have sworn we had been here the better part of an hour not five minutes.”  
Cas nodded,  
“Its an amazing thing time, at least how we perceive it.”  
Claire shot Cas a look,  
“No philosophy today I don’t think my brain can handle it.”  
Cas nodded,  
“As you like.”  
The table fell silent again until Dean sighed and tossed his book on the table, before digging out a pack of cards,  
“Poker?”  
There were nods are around the table so Dean started shuffling before dealing.  
The game lacked the intensity that was usually present in poker, but lack luster though it was it kept hands and minds busy.  
Soon the eighth slot was called, and some people from the hotel came in with some sandwiches and bottles of water, and began passing the food around.  
Lunch was a welcome distraction from counting the seconds until you went before the judges, wondering how soon you should get up to stretch to warm up your body and voice.  
Dean tried to focus on the cards in his hand but couldn’t translate them into any actual information about the game, he got frustrated and threw them on the table,  
“Fold.”  
Everyone else at the table sighed and followed suit.  
“I don’t think this is working as a distraction anymore.”  
Dean commented gathering the cards back up.  
Dean set the deck on the table and went back to picking at his sandwich, when there was a tap at his elbow,  
“Can I borrow these?”  
Cas asked tentatively, knowing he was on shaky ground with Dean,  
“Go ahead I brought a few decks with me.”  
Cas inclined his head before dealing himself a hand of solitaire, playing the game mindlessly more for something to do with his hands than anything else.  
Dean lay his head down on the table and tapped his fingers restlessly  
“I am going to lose my mind if this goes on much longer. What is this some kind of psychological test to see if we can follow instructions without question? This is cruel. But of course we’re all going to sit here, because the other option is to lose our spot in the competition.”  
Cas hmm-ed distractedly as he arranged and rearranges the cards in front of him,  
“It could be worse.”  
Dean turned to stare at Cas incredulously,  
“How do you figure?”  
Cas grinned a little,  
“You could be watching work men install bars on your window and a lock on your door, one that locks from the outside.”  
Dean stared at Cas in shock opening and closing his mouth before he finally found words,  
“Yeah man, that would be worse. But I thought…”  
Dean trailed off as he heard how the statement would sound in his head, Cas’s face took on an ironic expression,  
“You thought I was a spoiled little rich boy, who spent his free time in designer boutiques after buying his grades at some big private school?”  
Dean blushed,  
“Uh yeah, something like that.”  
Cas chuckled,  
“You’re not the first person to make that assumption. Don’t worry.”  
Dean nodded a little,  
“But your clothes…”  
Cas smiled down at his outfit,  
“Yes I am dressed in Morningstar. You want the story now I take it.”  
Dean shrugged with his chin resting on his hands,  
“It would pass the time.”  
Cas sighed and nodded,  
“It would at that.”  
Cas drew his hands into his lap,  
“Well when I went to the first audition, I returned home past my curfew, unacceptable in my father’s house, so he banned me from the second audition, from coming here to New York, when I told him I wouldn’t accept his punishment he kicked me out with the clothes on my back and my messenger bag. So I went to my sister’s house, and slept in her doorway. The next morning I met my sister’s boyfriend, Lucifer Morningstar. Some of my sister’s friends helped me with some new stuff. Hence the Morningstar clothes.”  
By the time Cas finished talking, he was talking to his lap. Dean’s face registered absolute shock.  
“Man I… that sucks, plain and simple.”  
Cas nodded solemnly,  
“Yes, yes it does.”  
“How did your sister…wait Novak…your sister is Anna Novak?”  
Cas nodded,  
“Yes she is, how did you know that?”  
“She’s a designer. My sister, Jo, loves her clothes. This one red dress of hers was in Seventeen, and Jo tried to make something similar, but it wouldn’t come out, and she cried for a week.”  
Cas raised an eyebrow,  
“I didn’t realize my sister had so much success. Perhaps if you win you can buy your sister the dress.”  
Dean grinned  
“I’d love to, but it was some limited thing, and she says size four always sells out first.”  
Cas hmm-ed,  
“That is unfortunate.”  
Cas dug his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through it idly tapping on the screen and holding the phone to his ear.  
“Anna? Is this a bad time?”  
Dean’s stared curiously at Cas trying to figure out where Cas was going with this,  
“Did you have a dress featured in Seventeen? My congratulations. I need to ask you a favor. I have a friend here whose sister evidently feel madly in love with that dress, even tried to make herself one, and cried when it wouldn’t come out. Do you think you could make me one? A four. Hold on.”  
Cas turned to Dean whose jaw was in his lap,  
“Do you want it in the red that was in the magazine or another color.”  
Dean stared for a second while Cas waited patiently,  
“A sky blue if its not too much trouble.”  
Cas nodded and returned to his call,  
“Can you do sky blue? A week? Sounds perfect. I’ll text it to you. Thank you Anna. Yes I love you too, my best to Luci.”  
Cas hung up the phone and turned back to Dean.  
“I’ll need your address so Anna can have it sent to your sister.”  
“Thank you man. You didn’t have to do that, I know what that dress is worth, thank you.”  
Cas shrugged,  
“I treated you fairly horribly after my break down, so I hope that this will help make us even.”  
Dean nodded,  
“This definitely makes us even dude, this is, wow. Jo is going to freak. She’ll have it in time for prom.”  
Cas smiled,  
“I hope she enjoys it.”  
Dean grinned,  
“You do realized I will have to contract Anna to do her wedding dress now, because nothing else will do.”  
Cas smiled fondly at the thought of his sister,  
“I hear that Anna is quite talented with wedding dresses.”  
Dean smiled,  
“From what I’ve seen of her work I believe it.”  
“I think its time we start warming up.”  
Dean nodded and stepped away from the table with Cas and began the stretching routine that Taemin taught them.  
“Are you scared?”  
Dean asked a little nervously,  
“Surprisingly, not particularly.”  
“Huh, just me then.”  
Cas smiled,  
“I doubt you’re the only nervous person. I think you’re going to do very well, for what it matters.”  
Dean smiled,  
“Thanks.”  
All too soon Cas’s audition slot was called and he waved to Dean as he followed the producer out of the room.  
Dean tried to focus on his warm ups rather than his nerves.  
Cas tapped his index finger against the side of his leg and he followed the producer into a dark room. He handed her his CD and stepped to his mark a light lit over his head, but the judges were still shaded in darkness.   
No one said anything Cas’s music just started out of nowhere, and Cas tried to put it all out of his mind, and just focus on the music, focus on the routine, he got so into it he almost didn’t notice the music fading out.  
Even when the music stopped and the room fell silent, no one said anything, and the producer materialized at his elbow and gestured for him to follow her, she left him in the room with all the others who had already gone, and were now watching movies, and left to go collect Dean.  
Dean followed the producer obediently, leaving Amy alone in the room waiting her turn.  
When Dean entered the dark room he flinched, then took a deep breath, and just like that he was back in his family’s barn at midnight practicing by a single lantern, the dark was safe and comfortable, and he could be free in the dark.  
When the music started Dean’s words were sharp, staccato, and his movements finished precisely, he hit each form and punctuated each word, he filled the room with anger betrayal and longing.  
When the music stopped and the room was silent Dean wasn’t unnerved by the silence, because he had conquered the dark, and nothing scared him there.  
When the producer materialized at his elbow he followed her to wait with the others quietly, and sat down next to Cas, completely relaxed.  
“So now we’re just waiting on Amy, that wasn’t as bad as I expected it be.”  
Cas looked at him as if he had emerged from another dimension,  
“Speak for yourself.”  
“You didn’t do well?’  
“The whole set up just unnerved me, finally all my fears of the dark realized.”  
Dean nodded,  
“I can see how that would freak you out.”  
“Did it not bother you?”  
Dean shook his head,  
“No, I work out in our barn in the dark all the time, it felt very normal to me.”  
“You are a strange man.”  
Dean shrugged,  
“You’re not the first to say it.”  
Amy joined them pale and shaking, and sat down quietly by the wall, not looking at or interacting with anyone.  
Dean stood up and made his way very carefully to her sitting down next to her in a slow fluid motion,  
“Are you alright?”  
Dean murmured, and Amy shook her head furiously  
“Do you want me to get the paramedics or anything?”  
Am shook her head again.  
Dean draped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in to his chest,   
“Shush now, its all gonna be okay.”  
Dean rubbed her back soothingly as he spoke and she shook less and less as he soothed her. A few minutes later she was leaning against Dean hiccupping as her tears subsided  
“Th…thank you.”  
Dean smiled down at her,  
“No worries Sweetheart. You just get yourself together, I’ve got nothing pressing at the moment.”  
She fell silent as she leaned back against Dean’s chest for a little while longer as she composed herself  
When she was feeling steadier she sat up and held a hand out to Dean,  
“Amy Pond.”  
Dean smiled and accepted her hand in his,  
“Dean Winchester.”  
They had no sooner finished their introductions than the producer walked back in with the list.  
“Okay I have our ten finalists. Dean Winchester, Castiel Novak, Claire, Bela Talbot, Kali Mahakali, Emily Jorgeson, Balthazar Roche, Leah Gideon, Maggie Zeddmore, and Amy Pond. Those who we’ve selected will return to your rooms and pack for your flight tomorrow morning, the rest of you, there are travel coordinators waiting to help you with your travel arrangements home. Thank you.”  
Dean knocked his shoulder against Amy’s,   
“See you made it.”  
She tried to smile and failed,  
“From first place to tenth, but at least I’m in.”  
Dean smiled at her,  
“And you have plenty of time to stage a comeback.”  
Amy smiled and nodded before wandering off to begin packing.  
Dean turned to Cas,  
“So we made it, first and second place.”  
“It seems that way. Enjoy first place while it lasts.”  
Dean crooked a grin at Cas and headed out towards the room.  
“Told you my porn butt would out rank you.”  
Cas crinkled up his nose as he rolled his eyes,  
“Somehow I knew you were going to bring that up.”


	13. Hot Summer- F(x)

Hot Summer

Dean hauled his large duffel bag out from under his bed, and began to empty out his side of the closet,  
“I swear I have no idea how I got all this into this bag in the first place.”  
Cas cracked a grin,  
“Well it is a rather large duffel bag, where did you find one that large?”  
Dean sighed and turned the bag, holding it up for Cas to see, printed on the side was J. Winchester USMC,  
“It belonged to my father, he packed me and my brother’s stuff in it before he ditched us with Bobby and Ellen, he never came back for it either.”  
Cas stiffened,  
“Forgive me.”  
Dean shrugged,  
“Had a long time to get used to it, been a long time since I waited at windows, no harm done.”  
Dean began folding all his clothes in small perfect squares, making perfectly organized stacks on his bed,  
“Do you need any help with your stuff Cas?”  
Cas considered for a moment,  
“If you could help me restore my trunks from their collapsed state I would appreciate it.”  
Dean nodded crouching down to help Cas slide his trunks out from under the bed, setting them in between the two beds,  
“How do we do this?”  
“We each grab a side and lift, then one person holds the top while another snaps the struts back into place, then I reattach the liner and its good to go.”  
Dean nodded and grabbed his side of the trunk helping Cas lift it and holding it raised while he snapped the struts into place,  
“That is some seriously cool luggage man.”  
Cas nodded as he reattached the liner,  
“Ruby seemed quite pleased with it, evidently she’s just patented it, and is going to market it as the ideal traveling luggage.”  
Dean nodded,  
“I’d believe it.”  
They reassembled the second trunk quickly Dean grinning,  
“Okay this is way better than a beat up decades old deployment bag, I am officially jealous.”  
Cas smirked,  
“Maybe if you win you can afford a set of your own.”  
Dean smiled,  
“If I win I’ve got more important things to pay for, like Sam and Jo’s college.”  
Cas smiled,  
“That’s what you want to do if you win, if you become a big idol, put your siblings through college?”  
Dean shrugged,  
“Along with a few other things for Ellen and Bobby, but their school first, I’m going to take care of the family that took care of me.”  
Cas smiled,  
“Well that’s very noble of you.”  
Dean shrugged again as he began to pack all his perfectly folded clothes into the battered bag,  
“Ellen and Bobby took me and Sam in, treated us like their own, Jo was always good to us, stood up for us, scrapped on the playground when someone bullied Sam after I’d gone to middle school before him. How can I not repay those kindnesses?”  
Cas felt tears in his eyes,  
“They sound like wonderful people.”  
Dean nodded,  
“They are, maybe after all this I’ll take you to the ranch for a visit.”  
Cas froze in shock and turned to stare at Dean,  
“Really?”  
Dean nodded,  
“Yeah man, you seem like you could use some family, and Ellen has a thing for strays, there’s plenty of space, food, and work to go around, you could come for a while, sort yourself out.”  
Cas was floored by Dean’s words,  
“I think I would enjoy that very much.”  
Dean nodded decisively,  
“Its settled then.”  
Dean calmly went back to stuffing his clothes and shoes back into his bag as if he offered people life changing opportunities every day.  
“Dean?”  
Cas asked softly, Dean nodded,  
“I’m asexual.”  
Dean nodded calmly,  
“That’s cool.”  
Dean continued on folding calmly, and Cas didn’t notice he was being carefully watched for the signs of another panic attack,  
“Dean?”  
Cas started again,  
“Yeah?”  
“Thank you.”  
Dean grinned,  
“No worries man.”  
Dean finished packing the rest of his clothes, save what he would need for the rest of the night, and to wear on the flight, and stowed his bag at the side of his bed.  
Cas was humming under his breath as he continued organizing his things in his trunk,  
“Dean? I’ve never flown before, is it scary?”  
Dean chewed at his lip as he considered the answer,  
“It can be, but mostly its loud and boring.”  
“I would welcome loud and boring.”  
Dean grinned that crooked grin of his,  
“Me too buddy.”  
“Will you set an alarm Dean?”  
Dean laughed,  
“Dude I’ve set a dozen alarms there is no way I’m sleeping in and missing this flight.”  
Cas nodded thoughtfully,  
“It would be a dreadful waste of a porn butt.”  
Dean stared at Cas’s completely straight face in shock for a second before he burst out laughing at the unexpected joke.  
Dean shook his head still chuckling,  
“First place porn butt to you mister, now try and get some shut eye.”  
Cas nodded settling back against his pillows and pulling the blanket to his chest as Dean killed the lights. Even as darkness descended over the room Cas found himself staring at the ceiling rather than being able to drift off into sleep.  
He wouldn’t let himself look at the time, knowing that if he started checking time he would be doing it every two minutes, so he had no idea if he had been there staring at the dim ceiling for five minutes or five hours.  
“I hope I can sleep on the plane.”  
Dean grumbled to himself, and jumped a mile when he heard an answering chuckle from the next bed.  
“I hear that helps with jet lag, if you sleep when you cross the time zone boundaries.”  
Dean hmm-ed his hands interlocked behind his head,  
“So what you’re saying is, I should totally pull out my tablet and open up my Dramafever subscription so we can binge watch ‘Heirs’?”  
Cas grinned broadly,  
“I propose ‘To The Beautiful You’.”  
Dean smirked,  
“Done.”  
One of the bed side lamps clicked on as Dean rustled through the few things he had left out before coming up with his tablet and setting it up to play the drama on a chair in between the two beds.  
The drama allowed time to pass quickly and neither Dean nor Cas thought about checking the time, until Dean’s alarm started shrieking,  
“I suppose its morning.”  
Dean looked at the window dubiously,  
“Something like that at least.”  
Dean grunted reaching over to turn off his tablet, and stretching his arms over his head.  
“Rise and shine Cas! Today promises to be a very long tedious day leading up to something very exciting! So let’s get going.”  
Cas rolled his eyes at Dean’s sudden good mood shoving his own cover back and stretching a little himself,  
“Well by all means we wouldn’t want to keep boring and tedious waiting would we?”  
Dean stuck his tongue out at Cas in lieu of an actual reply  
“Charming.”  
Dean smirked,  
“When it counts.”  
Cas settled for simply rolling his eyes as he knew it was true,  
“Let’s just get ready to go to the airport.”  
Dean grinned,  
“Hey man I am ready, not my fault you’re slow in the mornings.”  
Cas turned to look at Dean’s side of the room everything neatly packed away, and the bed made,  
“How I envy you that skill.”  
Dean chuckled and reclined back on his elbows watching Cas move around in a tizzy,  
“Dude, do things one at a time, trust me you’ll get done faster.”  
Cas stopped a looked a Dean for a moment before taking a deep breath to center himself. He started by changing into what he planned to wear on the plane, and putting away his clothes from the night before closing and locking his trunk, and checking his messenger bag to make sure that he had everything he needed for the flight. He looked around his side of the room one last time before turning to Dean,  
“Let’s go and be bored.”  
Dean grinned, and they loaded their luggage on the cart waiting outside the door of their room and headed for the elevators.  
“Onwards to adventure Cas!”  
Dean cheered and started to throw an arm around Cas’s shoulders before visibly stopping himself and tucking his hand into his pocket.  
Cas felt his smile slide off his face at Dean’s aborted movement, and decided to try to repair this rift himself, and managed to sling an arm around Dean’s shoulders managing to make the movement look comfortable, Dean quirked an eyebrow at Cas in curiosity,  
“I don’t wish for you to be anything but yourself with me Dean, besides if I am to be an idol I need to get comfortable with being touched, at least on stage.”  
Dean nodded and slung his own arm across Cas’s  
“Dean Winchester’s personal space adjustment camp is now in session.”  
Cas rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help the comfortable smile on his face.  
For Cas airport security was a trial, but Dean made sure to keep close with a joke or a reassuring smile, so he made it through relatively unscathed. When the competition group filed onto the plane, Cas kept a grip on the back of Dean’s t-shirt and made sure to follow him into the same row.  
“Dude you sit by the window, you just have to let me lean over you when we land in Korea.”  
Cas nodded,  
“That seems agreeable”  
Cas sat down and tried to attach the two ends of his seatbelt fumbling with them, Dean grinned before leaning over an taking an end in each hand, showing Cas how they clicked together. Once the seatbelt was attached Cas took the strap that controlled the tightness of the belt and pulled it as hard as he could, Dean shook his head,  
“Remember to leave room to breathe.”  
Cas blinked and stopped pulling on the strap instead drumming his fingers on the arm rest, Dean rolled his eyes before laying his head back an waiting for take off, somehow he just knew it was going to be a long thirty five hours.  
“Once we’re in the air you should try and get some sleep, it’ll make the time change easier, and the flight less stressful.”  
Cas nodded tensely eyes glued to the tarmac, at least until the flight attendant started her safety speech, then he soaked in every word like it was the Gospel.  
When the plane lifted free of the tarmac and passed through the clouds however Cas wore the biggest smile on his face,  
“It feels like…pure freedom.”  
He breathed watching the Earth disappear beneath them, Dean grinned indulgently and patted Cas on the shoulder.  
Once the plane was steady in the air at thirty five thousand feet, Dean leaned his seat back, stuck his headphones in, and closed his eyes, determined to sleep as much of the flight away as possible.  
Five minutes later when Cas turned to Dean with a question he found him with his face relaxed in sleep, Cas smiled at his friend before drawing the shade on the window, and dimming the over head light until he had just enough left to read by, before settling in with a novel.  
Cas turned pages in the novel leaning against the window until the words blurred together and his eyes closed.  
By the time the meal cart came around both Dean and Cas had slept away eight hours of the thirty five hour flight, Dean smiled politely at the flight attendant passing out food, before checking his watch.  
“Eight hours down, twenty seven hours to go.”  
Cas hmm-ed in response as he hesitantly poked his food with a fork,  
“Are we sure this is edible?”  
Dean grinned,  
“Yeah, won’t be the best tasting meal you’ve ever had, but it won’t kill you.”  
Cas raised an eyebrow dubiously as he took a small bite of what claimed to be turkey.  
“Surprisingly, I’ve eaten worse.”  
Dean chuckled digging into his own food,  
“So how are we going to kill the next twenty seven hours?”  
Cas shrugged,  
“I have Game of Thrones downloaded on my laptop, we could watch that until hopefully getting some more sleep.”  
Dean grinned,  
“Fair warning I have crushes on half of the characters and I am completely unashamed of this.”  
Cas shook his head,  
“I think I can handle it.”  
Dean’s face lit up,  
“You’re on dude.”  
Cas smiled,  
“I downloaded it, but have yet to have opportunity to watch any, so this will be fun.”  
Dean gaped,  
“It will be amazing, dude Game of Thrones is life changing, it and K-Pop are the two best things in entertainment.”  
Cas shook his head smiling fondly,  
“Evidently I have been remiss.”  
Dean sighed heavily,  
“Dude you don’t even know.”  
The flight attendant had no sooner collected their trash than Dean was grabbing for Cas’s laptop,  
“Come on Cas! Let’s go!”  
Dean was all but bouncing up and down in his seat, as Cas set up his laptop, and Dean handed him a head phone splitter,  
“The joys of siblings.”  
Dean shrugged when Cas raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, before incorporating it into his set up,  
“Are you ready to have your world rocked?”  
Dean asked his hand hovering over the play button, when Cas nodded Dean hit the button and grinned at Cas,  
“Winter is coming my friend.”  
Less than five minutes later Cas was totally engrossed, even when Dean fell asleep somewhere around the death of King Robert, Cas was completely transfixed.  
He fought sleep as he moved on to season two following the Five Kings War closely, before sleep finally won and his eyes drifted closed.  
When Dean woke up to sun rising over the Pacific ocean, and Cas snoring on his shoulder, he smiled and closed Cas’s laptop which was hovering somewhere in season three of auto play, moving slowly so as to not wake Cas any sooner than he had to. It was a couple of quiet hours until the breakfast cart started coming around and Dean gently shook Cas,  
“D’you want breakfast?”  
He whispered to Cas’s scrunched up face, when his head shook emphatically before settling back against Dean’s shoulder Dean grinned and left him to sleep.  
Dan dug into the pancakes set in front of him happily before digging a book out of his messenger bag and reading quietly with his book angled to catch the light from the aisle so he could leave the overhead light off.  
It was a few hours later when Cas woke up and blinked heavy eyes up as Dean,  
“Are we almost there?”  
He whined plaintively,  
“Sort of, we’re about six hours out from Seoul.”  
Cas sighed,  
“I was afraid you were going to say something like that.”  
Cas straightened up,  
“So cards?”  
Dean nodded marking his page and setting his book back in his bag,  
“You’re on.”  
Cas shuffled and dealt them both a hand for a round of rummy,  
“Shall we play to, say, fifteen hundred points?”  
Dean grinned,  
“That might fill the time.”  
Dean raised his hands and carefully kept his face blank despite the killer hand he held.  
Cas drew his first card and the war was on.  
A thousand points later they took a break for snacks Dean crowing about being in the lead while Cas stayed silent with a mysterious little smile on his face.  
“I don’t like that look Cas.”  
Cas simply grinned a little more,  
“Whatever do you mean Dean?”  
Dean studied him for a second,  
“I’m about to get hustled aren’t I”  
“Would I do that to you Dean?”  
Cas asked in a deceptively sweet tone,  
“So yes then? Jo tries the same tone on me dude.”  
Cas smiled and dealt the next hand,  
The next five hundred points went quickly, Dean stunned at how quickly Cas came from a hundred points behind to winning the game.  
“Yep hustled, I guess I should have seen that coming when you suggested this.”  
Cas smiled broadly,  
“At least there’s only an hour left until we land, want to just play for hands until we get closer?”  
Dean shrugged and accepted the next deal enjoying playing throw away hands with a less competitive Cas. Forty minutes later they were told to put their cards away and table up, because they were coming around to land.  
Cas threw up the shade on the window as he and Dean buckled their seat belts and peered out the window stunned by their first view of Seoul.  
“Its amazing.”  
Dean breathed staring at the city below him, to him it was just possibilities spread out before him.


	14. Everybody-SHINee

Everybody  
As soon as the plane thudded down onto the runway Cas was bouncing desperate to get out and experience Seoul, he was walking in a dream right now, actually being in Korea, with a real tangible shot at an entertainment career, it was all surreal.  
He squeezed Dean’s bicep as he followed him down the crowded aisle of the plane towards the gate.  
“Dude chill we still have to get through customs and baggage claim before we get outside, you’re going to give yourself a heart attack if you stay this worked up, take a deep breath man, we’ll get there soon enough.”  
Cas grinned tightly at Dean,  
“I will endeavor to follow your advice.”  
Dean nodded and squeeze Cas’s arm, as he shouldered a path through the crush of the crowd toward the customs line for foreign entries.  
An hour later a frustrated Dean and Cas emerged from customs into baggage claim, only to find a group of their competitors with a producer from the show,  
“Your luggage has been collected, SM Entertainment has agreed to put you up in their dorms, so you will need a roommate, you will have today to settle in, before shooting starts tomorrow.”  
Dean looked at Cas with a question on his face, and Cas nodded in agreement.  
“Ready for this?”  
Cas beamed at Dean the frustrations of Customs forgotten.  
As soon as the last member joined them they were all herded out to a duo of black vans and they set off through the streets of Seoul, before they arrived at the SM dorms they were handed non-disclosure agreements, stating that they would not, for the term of their natural lives, reveal the location of the SM dorms, unless specifically given permission to. Dean and Cas signed without hesitation, though they did hear a loud sigh from Balthazar, and mutterings from other people about assuming they weren’t trustworthy. Dean started to say something to them before Cas placed a hand on his forearm and shook his head before leaning over to whisper,  
“Let them get upset, it will make them resentful, which will cause them to make mistakes, mistakes we can profit from.”  
Dean nodded and remained quiet, watching as the producer took careful notice of who was resentful of the non-disclosure, Dean was sure those grumblings would come back to bite a couple of people in the butt later on. Finally the producer collected all the agreements and nodded to the driver who turned down a dark alley that nobody would think to look at twice, and seconds later they emerged from the dark alley into the well lit modern driveway of what looked like a luxury apartment complex.  
“Welcome to your dormitory building, there will be a code of conduct on the table in your dorm room, as soon as we get inside, collect your luggage, and make your way to your dorm room and settle in. Make sure you sleep on Seoul’s schedule, not New York’s, you will get no slack for jet lag. If you want to go out, you will require an escort, so make sure you go to security before you leave. If you go out into the city without an escort you will be sent home, assuming you make it back of course. Tomorrow we start filming, so be here ready to leave at six thirty in the morning, Seoul time, camera crews are not allowed in the dorms without advance warning and permission, so each of you will find a flip cam in your dorm with which to document your dorm experience, all of which will be explained in the rules packet. So that’s it for me, collect your luggage and make your way to your dorm room with your roommate.”  
Dean and Cas headed first for his distinctive cream luggage, and Dean grinned to find his battered deployment bag leaning against one of Cas’s trunks, he swung the bag up to his shoulder, before hefting one of the trunks in his arms and following Cas who had the other one draped with a hanging bag they headed towards the elevator, where they keyed in the eighth floor and made their way to their room.  
When Cas entered the code on the key pad of the door and pushed it open to reveal their new temporary home. Dean dumped the luggage in the bedroom both he and Cas would share before exploring, all in all the space was small but more then adequate to the needs of two teenage boys on their own for the first time.  
Dean found a rules packet and two flip cams on the table in the little dining area and settled in with Cas to read.  
Twenty minutes later they set the packet down,  
“All in all not that different from New York, besides needing an escort to go out, which is understandable, and having to film with the flip cams, but a hour of footage a day isn’t too bad.”  
Cas nodded,  
“So really the only question is, should we take our cameras with us when we go out?”  
Dean grinned,  
“I think so; our first foray into Seoul deserves to be documented.”  
Cas slipped the small camera into his pocket and followed Dean to the door of the dorm room.  
Dean and Cas meandered down to the ground floor where they found a group clustered around the security office,  
“I think everyone had the same idea.”  
Dean whispered to Cas who nodded gravely,  
“It would appear so.”  
He whispered back as they joined the line of excited American contestants to be assigned a guard to make sure they survived Seoul in one piece. They had been standing there for maybe five minutes when a clearly flustered man stepped out from the office to address everyone gathered,  
“I am Kim Min Jung, head of security here at the SM dormitory, unfortunately we have a limited number of guards who are fluent enough in English to escort our guests around the city today, so we have to ask that you form no more than three groups, each having no more than four people, and no fewer than two, once you have done this we will be happy to assign each group a guard so you may tour Seoul.”  
Min Jung bowed respectfully to the guests in the dormitory building he guarded and stepped back into the office to allow them to sort themselves out.  
“Should we wait until we figure out how the groups are going to go before we try to join anyone?”  
Dean asked Cas hesitantly, and Cas nodded,  
“That seems wise.”  
Dean and Cas lingered at the edge of the group of arguing contestants, watching dividing lines form in the group, Claire looking uncomfortable with all the arguing surrounding her, made her way over to Dean and Cas,  
“Can I hide with you guys? I don’t think I’ll have any fun in any of the other groups.”  
Both Cas and Dean smiled welcomingly at the young girl they had become fond of,  
“Of course you can Claire, we’ll have our own group away from the crazies.”  
Dean quipped ruffling Claire’s hair gently, and spotting the group containing people not yelling over each other Amy Pond made her way over,  
“Can I join up with you guys, since this seems to be the group composed of people who don’t think the whole world should bow to their every whim.”  
Cas raised an eyebrow,  
“Interesting turn of phrase, but yes you are welcome with us. You joining actually works quite nicely, it puts us at capacity so we can’t be coerced into taking any of the others.”  
Cas droned in a monotone lightened by the cheeky look on his face. Amy bowed a little at the waist,  
“So glad to be of service to our ragtag group of outcasts.”  
Dean grinned broadly and reached a threatening hand towards Amy’s tousled red locks, Amy ducked his hand giggling softly.  
A few minutes later Min Jung stepped back out from the security office,  
“Have we managed to form groups?”  
There was a lot of grumbling from the cluster of contestants in the center, as Dean raised a hand,  
“Yes?”  
Min Jung turned to him and Dean’s face grew noticeably hesitant,  
“We have a group of four Sir, if that’s acceptable.”  
Min Jung nodded and gestured to a spot to the right of him,  
“Will you and your group step over here please?”  
Dean led his ragtag bunch to the spot indicated and waited quietly,  
“As for the rest of you, I will separate you into groups, if you have an issue with the group I assign you, then you may remain here today. I am not required to accommodate you if you cannot comply with my rules, so you, you, and you will be one group and the rest will be another.”  
Kali huffed in anger,  
“You can’t stick me with this British snob!”  
Bela rolled her eyes,  
“Trust me Darling, I’m not any happier about it, but I want to see Seoul as I imagine you do, so let’s call a truce for today. Hmm?”  
Kali stared at Bela in absolute fury,  
“Not happening…”  
She was cut off by Min Jung,  
“May I have your name Miss.”  
Kali turned to the man and glared,   
“My name is Kali Mahakali.”  
She spat making the simple phrase somehow seem an insult,  
“Miss Mahakali, you have two simple choices today, you may put your differences aside and go out with the group I assigned you, or you may remain here for the day.”  
Kali looked shocked, as if she had seriously expected her temper tantrum to realize her whims being fulfilled,  
“But…I…”  
Kali attempted to start before being cut off my Min Jung again,  
“Yes Miss Mahakali? Please decide quickly as you are holding the others up.”  
Kali stared at him in complete shock before turning sharply on her heel and storming back towards the elevators, muttering under her breath the whole way.  
“Well now that that’s been resolved, you all have a curfew of ten pm, and must be sober when you arrive back, if you arrive intoxicated or fail to follow the directions of your guard you face dismissal from the competition, enjoy your day in Seoul.”  
Min Jung bowed again before stepping back into the security office, the groups were joined a moment later by two men and one woman wearing jeans and t-shirts clearly ready to blend in with the crowd on the street. The girl made her way to Dean and bowed respectfully, Dean and the others mimicked the gesture,  
“I am Min Seo, and I will be your guide for the day.”  
Min Seo spoke pleasantly lilting English with barely any trace of an accent,  
“I’m Dean Winchester, this is Cas Novak, Claire, and Amy Pond.”  
Dean indicated each member of his group as he introduced them around, and Min Seo smile politely,  
“It is a pleasure to meet you. Shall we go?”  
Dean nodded and the group fell into step behind Min Seo as she lead them through an empty store front and into the stream of foot traffic crowding the sidewalk.  
“What would you all like to do today?”  
Min Seo asked once they were out on the sidewalk,  
“We’d like to do some shopping, if that’s alright.”  
Amy ventured gesturing to herself and Claire, Dean and Cas smiled and nodded,  
“We would also like to see some of the sights of Seoul, like the Namsan Tower.”  
Min Seo seemed to consider for a moment before nodding, stepping to the curb and raising a hand in the universal ‘Taxi’ gesture.  
When a van with a Taxi light on its roof slowed down at the curb, Min Seo urged her charges into the vehicle, she spoke briefly with the driver, before the taxi pulled back into traffic and they were off.  
The Taxi dropped them off at a large mall, which caused Amy and Claire’s faces to light up. Dean and Cas rolled their eyes with good natured smiles on their faces as Amy and Claire bounced ahead into the mall with Dean and Cas following at a more sedate pace.  
When they all got into the center atrium of the mall Amy and Claire froze for a moment, in unison inhaled deeply, then plunged into the first clothing store in front of them with the kind of speed Usain Bolt would be proud of. Dean and Cas shared a stunned look with Min Seo before they were through the crowd after the two wayward girls Min Seo proving her worth as a body guard by managing to keep Dean and Cas in view while moving through the crowd at top speed to find Claire and Amy in a small boutique. When she caught up with her wayward charges she seized each girl by an arm,  
“You are to stay with me, what part of that did you not understand? I cannot protect you if I can’t see you!”  
Both Amy and Claire hung their heads ashamed,  
“We’re sorry, our excitement ran away with us.”  
Amy apologized in the kind of small voice an animator would give to a kicked puppy, Dean and Cas watched Min Seo try to remain stern with the two girls and fail, sighing,  
“Don’t do it again, or I’ll be forced to report it, but since no one was hurt this time I suppose I can forgive you.”  
Amy smiled tentatively at the body guard nodding her thanks, while Claire beamed and threw her arms around Min Seo’s waist,  
“Thank you!”  
Min Seo patted Claire’s head with a bemused expression before pushing her forward gently,  
“Go and shop now before the boys get bored.”  
Claire flashed another beaming grin at Min Seo before making her way over to a rack of dresses and flipping through.  
Dean and Cas entertained themselves by the accessories, trying on necklaces, bracelets, and watches, Dean even found a 1940’s style fedora to fall in love with, insisting on wearing it out after paying for it, even Cas had to admit it suited him.  
Amy and Claire worked their way through the mall, both creating the bare bones of the wardrobe typical to female idols, while Dean and Cas just picked up a couple of pieces here and there to offset their existing wardrobe, and send home as gifts.  
“Can we sight see now?”  
Dean asked trying not to sound as bored as he really was, but Amy and Claire heard the note of desperation in his voice anyway,  
“Yes Dean, let’s sight see.”  
Dean grinned and managed to refrain from pumping a fist in the air and whooping.  
“Namsan tower first?”  
He begged doing his best to look cute to a group of people he towered over; Amy and Claire stared at him in shock before clutching each other lost to helpless giggles, Dean pouted and that only seemed to make things worse.  
“Okay so I’m no good at being cute! But I still wanna go to Namsan Tower.”  
Dean grumbled folding his arms across his chest,  
“And for laughing at me we’re riding the cable car up.”  
Amy and Claire nodded in what was an attempt at gravity, cracking up a little despite their efforts,  
“Whatever you say Dean.”  
Amy managed with a relatively straight face, thinking they had actually offended Dean, but as soon as they capitulated Dean grinned and ruffled their hair,  
“You two are so easy.”  
He laughed as the two girls swatted him on the arms, taking his beating with good humor and grace while Cas and Min Seo watched with amused expressions on their faces, Min Seo herded the group back outside where she hailed a cab, and urged them all in for the short drive to Namsan mountain where they could catch a cable car. When they arrived at the base of the mountain Dean stared up at it in awe, bouncing on the balls of his feet like a small child promised a sweet, as he gazed at the cable cars gliding along.  
“Well let’s go buy tickets them.”  
Min Seo pushed Dean gently as she spoke herding him towards the office where group passage on the cable cars could be purchased, Dean obeyed her hands as he continued to stare at the tower in wonder.  
It was only when they were inside and his view of the tower was cut off that Dean refocused his attention on his more immediate surroundings.  
Min Seo arranged for the tickets at the desk in rapid fire Korean and five minutes later the group were filing into a waiting cable car and Dean immediately plastered himself to his window with his flip cam in one hand attempting to both record and stare in awe at the same time, after a minute Amy relieves him of the camera,  
“I’ll film for you, you just enjoy this Dean.”  
He beamed at Amy before returning to the window, watching the skyline of Seoul as appeared to rise up to meet them and Amy smiled filming the others as they plastered themselves to windows and pointed out sights they had only read about or seen pictures of online, they chattered and exclaimed excitedly, bounced up and down, and occasionally even threw beaming smiles to the camera in Amy’s hand. When the cable car slid to a gentle stop at the top of the mountain Min Seo could barely keep up with her charges in their excitement to reach the tower.  
Min Seo kept sharp eyes on her group of teenagers, but found herself smiling with their as their enthusiasm surrounded her and allowed her to see old things through new eyes.  
It made Seoul exciting again.   
By the time Min Seo managed to convince her rag tag bunch that it was time to leave, they had watched (and filmed) night falling over Seoul and the city lighting up the darkness, eaten in the rotating restaurant (and treated Min Seo to dinner despite her protests), and watched young couples full of hopes fasten locks onto the bridge and throw the keys into the water in the hope that it would keep their relationship as permanent as the lock.  
When they reached the base of the mountain they had just enough time to grab a cab back to the empty store front that would lead them to the SM dormitory compound before curfew.  
The group sprinted back into the lobby of the dorm building just as the clock clicked to 9:59 and Min Jung raised an eyebrow at the group,  
“Welcome back, you’re just in time, and shockingly not the last group to reappear.”  
Dean and Cas winced at each other while Min Seo’s face flashed a sympathetic look at the thought of her fellow body guard getting in trouble for uncontrollable American teenagers, and the group lingered in the lobby as they redistributed shopping bags to their original owners, since everyone had just grabbed a random handful for the sprint into the building.  
Dean was fishing in his bag from the mall until he pulled out a small bag from one of the small jewelry boutiques they had visited, and pulled out a flat box printed with the boutique’s logo and stepped to where Min Seo was waiting anxiously by the wall for the last group to return.  
“Min Seo?”  
She turned and seemed surprised to see Dean standing in front of her,  
“Yes Dean?”  
Her voice was hesitant but polite, seeming to think that there was some trouble in store in Dean’s hesitant face, Dean extended the box held in two hands with a slight bow,  
“Thank you for giving up your day to show us Seoul, and for being so patient with us.”  
Min Seo’s face registered shock, while it wasn’t unusual for Korean idols to give the staff they work with small gifts, she hadn’t expected it from her American charges, she accepted the box from Dean with a bow,  
“Kamsahamnida.”  
When she opened the box she was surprised to find a bracelet she had shown interest in, of course as a body guard showing interest meant she paused by its display for a brief moment before following Amy and Claire deeper into the store. Dean was clearly highly observant.  
Min Seo beamed at Dean who inclined his head to her again before stepping back to his group.  
“Cas I’m ready to turn in, how about you?”  
Cas shook his head,  
“I’m going to stay down here with Amy and Claire, but I will be quiet when I come in.”  
Dean nodded,  
“Night y’all.”  
Everyone bid Dean a goodnight and he headed to the elevator already yawning on the way.  
The next morning Dean woke up to the smell of coffee in kitchen and for a brief moment thought he was home and Ellen was making breakfast, but moment later it was Cas that appeared in the door way of their shared bedroom holding two non-descript white mugs with steam gently curling from them,  
“Its instant, but better than nothing.”  
Cas shrugged apologetically as he handed Dean the mug,  
“Dude, I grew up on a ranch, no coffee is not an option.”  
Cas grinned and sipped at his own mug,  
“I wonder where we go from here.”  
Dean nodded as he focused on his coffee drinking like someone was going to take it away from him.  
“I am going to shower now, so I can be out of the shower by five, then it will be all yours.”  
Dean nodded absently still focused on his coffee,  
“Whatever man.”  
Cas stepped into the bathroom and started the water, grateful that he had been able to sleep on the plane, and on Seoul’s schedule, and woke up actually feeling fairly refreshed.  
Dean sucked down his coffee before he stood up and stretched, he spotted his flip cam, remembered the day before and felt a huge grin split his face.  
“I really made it; I really have a shot here.”  
After a surprisingly short fifteen minutes Dean heard the shower cut off and shook his head,  
“Bet he ran out of hot water.”  
He muttered to himself as he made his way to his bag to dig out something to wear for his first day of filming in Korea.   
He was still shaking out clothes on his bed when Cas emerged from the bathroom with a towel slung around his waist, Dean mockingly blew a wolf whistle,  
“Whose got porn butt now Cas?”  
Cas assumed a haughty expression despite his damp pink hair and white towel,  
“Unlike some people I could mention, when I appear on camera I will be appropriately dressed, and there will be absolutely no porn butt.”  
Dean stared at Cas before bursting out laughing,  
“Congratulations man you actually sold that, I didn’t think you were going to manage it with a straight face.”  
Cas stuck his tongue out at him, before Dean ducked into the bathroom and started the water for his own shower.  
At six am the two boys walked out of their dorm room ready to take on their first day of the Korean leg of the competition.


	15. View- SHINee

View

Dean and Cas made a point of arriving in the lobby ten minutes early, an intimidation tactic Cas said, a nervous habit Dean swore, but it did allow them to watch the others filter in.  
Amy and Claire arrived shortly after them and waved as they chatted softly in the early morning both looking refreshed after a night’s rest Dean was pleased to note.  
“Now we like Amy and Claire, but we are not friends with the rest of them, so stoic game faces on.”  
Dean nodded and schooled his face to be free of expression as the others started filing in, Bela looked posh and prepared, maybe even a little snobby, Maggie followed behind her looking as if she had stepped from between the pages of a Steam Punk novel, and she met everyone’s eyes as an equal. Kali swept into the room a vision of every sexy nightmare no one would ever admit to having. She was the last one to come into the room looking remotely prepared for what lay ahead of them.  
When Balthazar, Leah, and Emily, stumbled in they looked as if they had come straight from the frat party to what was essentially work.  
Dean couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at their appearance shocked that would have broken the rule against intoxication so obviously, Balthazar even still reeked of booze and sweat.  
“Think they were the group to make it back later than us?”  
Dean whispered to Cas, who nodded with a disapprovingly look clear on his face,  
“Much later I would have guess.”  
Dean nodded imperceptibly,  
“What do you think is going to happen to them?”  
Cas studied Balthazar and his companions leaning against a wall holding their heads,  
“Nothing pleasant I would imagine.”  
Dean leaned away from Cas before any one could notice their conversation, and returned to studying his competition. Of course it didn’t occurred to him that he had ceased to think of Cas as competition and now placed in a group of people similar to Sam and Jo, as family, a best friend, not as someone to take out on his way to the top.  
What Dean didn’t know was that Cas had begun to think of him in much the same way, there wasn’t a person in the competition Cas wouldn’t step on to not have to go home to his father and admit failing, not even Amy and Claire of whom he was genuinely fond. But if it came down to stabbing Dean in the back, Cas would be forced to walk away and hope he had conducted himself well enough to be offered a trainee position somewhere. He would even cheer for Dean as he won.  
For the first time in his life Cas found someone he would protect he way Anna had protected him. Dean seemed to lack the killer instinct that had been bred into Cas, raised in supposedly ‘fine’ society. Cas of course wouldn’t change a single thing about Dean, so Dean could be honorable and Cas would be vicious.  
When the producer stepped into the room she was flanked by Min Jung and one of the body guards they seen the day before, who was now sporting an angry expression and a black eye.  
The producer was the living embodiment of ‘if looks could kill’ as she surveyed the group nursing headaches and sullen expressions.  
“Yesterday there was a group who choose to blatantly ignore the guidelines set out for them by their hosts and the directors of this competition, they ignored the curfew set for them, ignored their body guard when warned away from a dangerous part of town, and insisted on entering a bar despite at least one of them being too young to drink legally, and the rule forbidding drunkenness, started a bar brawl which put their bodyguard in harms way without purpose, which caused Tae Sun to be injured. Given the seriousness of these transgressions we have no choice but to remove them from the competition. Balthazar Roche, Leah Gideon, and Emily Jorgeson, please return to your dorm rooms and pack your belongings, your flight leaves this afternoon.”   
The producer glared down the three miscreants until they slunk from the lobby to go and collect their belongings, shrinking under her gaze.  
When they had gone she turned back to the rest of them with a smile on her face,  
“As for the rest of you today is going to be an exciting day, its your first day living the life of a K-Pop idol, I sincerely hope you all paid attention in your classes.”  
With that cryptic comment she led the way back to the matching black vans that would transport them to their filming location.  
Dean and Cas sat side by side watching the city through the windows, and the people on the street with interest.  
Soon they arrived at what appeared to be a large warehouse compound and pulled up to a large building,  
“Welcome to your primary filming location, most of the competition will be filmed here, unless there are specific challenges that require a separate location. If everyone will enter the building in a orderly fashion please?”  
They all managed to climb out of the vans without anybody tripping or stepping on anybody else, and got themselves into the building with a reasonable amount of organization, and fell into line the way Key and Taemin had always demanded.  
It was in fact Key who greeted them,  
“Welcome to you first day of filming in Korea, today you will be selected for your teams to compete in for the rest of the competition, and you will meet your coach. You will head into wardrobe and makeup where consultants will advise you on a look, but it will be ultimately your choice, and part of the competition. In the world of an idol how you appear matters. So pay attention to the experts. When you’re done preparing we will film the selection, and you will meet with your coaches for the first time. Is everybody ready? Good.”  
Key simply stopped speaking and walked away from the group, tossing over his shoulder as he went,  
“By the way, get ready, get set, go.”  
He waved a handover his shoulder in a bored fashion as the group headed towards their assigned stations in the preparation area.  
Cas and Dean were pleased when their assigned areas turned out to be right next to each other.  
“Hello boys.”  
They turned at the surprising sound of a Scottish accent to see a man impeccably dressed in a black on black suit.  
“Hello.”  
Dean and Cas chorused nervously at the somewhat maniacal look on the man’s face.  
“The name’s Crowley. I’m supposed to get you looking like you’re not color blind. Well go ahead and turn for me.”  
Dean and Cas shared a glance before rotating slowly, if somewhat awkwardly on the spot allowing Crowley to study them.  
“Well at least you two seem to be aware of the basic idea of fashion. You don’t look horrific, but you…”  
He pointed an imperious finger at Dean,  
“Should never wear black eyeliner again, lose it.”  
Dean obediently picked up a make up remover wipe and began to carefully wipe off the black eye liner he had ringed his eyes with.  
Crowley nodded and turned to Cas,  
“You find the eyeliner he lost, with your eyes and skin you can carry the heavy black eyeliner, smudge it with some grey and silver to really carry it.”  
Cas nodded and picked up eye liner pencils in several colors and began to work at the outside of his eyes.  
Crowley turned back to Dean and held out an eyeliner stick,  
“Try this, not too much mind you.”  
Dean swept a thin line of the gold around the outside of his eyes and was shocked at the way the gold brought out his eyes.  
“Wow, good call.”  
Crowley quirked an eyebrow at Dean that spoke volumes,  
“How very good of you to notice.”  
Dean tried a charming grin which just caused the eyebrow to go up higher.  
“Anything else?”  
Crowley studied Dean closely,  
“Never give up that hat, in fact invest in more, hats work for you.”  
Dean quirked at grin at him,  
“I thank you for your approval.”  
Crowley sniffed arrogantly and turned back to Cas,  
“I knew those colors would flatter you, always play up your eyes, both of you, your styles will work, without fitting in too much, at least they didn’t give me complete morons this year.”  
With that he strolled away, and Dean and Cas simply stared at him,  
“I’m not sure if I should feel complimented or insulted.”  
Dean muttered in Crowley’s wake,  
“Something tells me that won’t be unusual with him, but may be better than what most people get.”  
Dean hmm-ed and turned back to the mirror,  
“Though I have to admit the man’s got style.”  
Cas nodded,  
“And now we wait.”  
“Let’s wander back over to where we came in and see what there is to see.”  
Cas nodded and followed Dean out of the dressing area.  
Key was sitting chatting with the other members of SHINee when Cas and Dean appeared back at the starting point,  
“All done?”  
They nodded and Taemin stood straightening his clothes a little,  
“Well then I’ll take you back stage, follow me.”  
Dean and Cas followed Taemin to a small lounge just off a sound stage,  
“You’ll wait here for your turn, unfortunately a few of our Korean contestants have been disqualified or forced to drop out, so we’ll have an even number.”  
Dean nodded absently and rubbed his palms along his thighs in a nervous gesture,  
“How will we be chosen?”  
He managed to ask past the lump in his throat and Taemin smirked,  
“Now that would be telling wouldn’t it.”  
He walked out the door as soon as he finished speaking and left Dean and Cas alone.  
“How long do you think we’ll have to sit here?”  
Dean asked the lump still in his throat,  
“I imagine that will depend on the others and how much work they need.”  
Dean nodded absently staring at the door.  
Over the next hour people joined them in ones and twos until there was a total of fifteen including Dean and Cas.  
Finally Key rejoined them,  
“Congratulations on making it this far. One by one you will be called before the coaches and you will perform your piece from the last audition. When a coach’s chair lights up, you have been claimed, and you may go and stand behind your coach. It’s a very simple process so let’s try to not mess it up.”  
With that Key left the room filled with fifteen suddenly pale faces.  
The door closed with all the drama of a prison cell clanging shut, as Dean was struck with the sudden urge to run away.  
Cas squeezed Dean’s wrist reassuringly as the first of the Korean contestants was called to the stage.  
One by one all of the Korean contestants were claimed, and Dean’s nerves built higher and higher as each person disappeared to the sound stage, slowly the American contestants began to disappear as well.  
First went Kali, still looking like a sexy nightmare, maybe even more so now than before. She looked like Death, like being with her would be the last thing that would ever to happen to you, and you’d be grateful.  
About three minutes later, Amy was called. Amy who was the complete opposite of Kali sweet in a soft green dress with a smile on her face, and a last smile for Dean before she stepped out onto the stage.  
Almost immediately after Amy, Claire was called, channeling CL with her edgy style and hair; she plastered a confident expression on her face before stepping out under the bright lights.  
It was almost five minutes after Claire left when the next name was called, this time Bela, all cool British posh and poise, tossing her thick mane over a shoulder before stepping out onto the stage as if her great grandfather had conquered it and it had been in her family for generations.  
IT took four minutes for them to call Maggie, and with her Steam Punk style and the colors in her hair she was adorable and different, she would be memorable, she almost bounced onto the stage bustle and layered skirt moving with her.  
Maggie was evidently chosen rather quickly as it was less than two minutes later when Cas was called to the stage, he gave Dean’s wrist one last reassuring squeeze before he stepped through the door to the stage cool and calm, he was class and poise, he looked like the privileged chaebol everyone else dreamed of being, he carried himself through the door with confidence and Dean managed a smile as he went,  
“Good luck Cas.”  
He muttered to himself as he began to pace the now empty room, he listened to the crowd roar, then shortly roar again, he grinned as Cas was obviously popular with crowd which boded well for his position on the team that chose him. It was a few more minutes and one more roar from the crowd before Dean’s name was called.  
Dean adjusted his hat and shook his hands lightly before he opened the door and made his way down the short dark hallway that opened rather suddenly to the bright lights of the stage, and the roar of the crowd. Each team coach had members of their groups fan club behind them who cheered politely when each new contestant came to the stage, and with glee when their idol of choice got a new talented member for their team.  
Dean was made his way to a table with two microphones, one a headset mic, and one a hand held. If he selected the hand held his vocals would have to cover for any weaknesses in the choreo caused by not being able to move one hand at any given time, while with the headset it would depend more equally on both.   
Dean took a deep breath before picking up the headset mic and fitting it into place. Once the mic was situated he made his way to a small marker in the center of the stage and folded his hands in front of him in a respectful stance.  
Dean was surprised when his music started without any warning, but recovered quickly falling into his starting position with time to spare.  
Cas was watching with a small smile on his face, the way Dean moved was powerful, it was even sexy. Cas knew Dean was going to do very well in this competition, and found himself hoping the wound up on the same team.  
Cas watched the back of his coach’s shoulders waiting for some indication of movement willing him to push the button.  
To Cas’s surprise all three coaches illuminated themselves within seconds of each other, and each section roared their approval.  
Dean didn’t even seem to notice he was so into his performance, he kept right with it until the music faded out.  
Dean turned back to face the coaches and was shocked to see all three illuminated idols applauding him.  
“Porn butt, maybe I should try it”  
Cas muttered to himself as he applauded his friend right along with the rest.  
A host stepped out and met Dean at center stage,  
“Now our contestant will be given the opportunity to choose his own coach, Mr. Winchester please make your selection.”  
Dean looked carefully at the three illuminated coaches, there was the ever amazing Luna from F(x), Joon from MBLAQ, and Onew from SHINee.  
Luna smiled sweetly, and Dean could tell she would be kind to him, but both Kali and Bela were standing behind her, and Dean did not want to be caught in the middle of that.   
His consideration moved on to Joon who had a childish smirk on his face, as if convinced that Dean would select him based on song selection. Dean didn’t want someone with too much ego, or who was immature.  
Finally his selection moved on to Onew. Onew who was the well known leader of SHINee, capable of being gentle and efficient. Dean was already half swayed when his eyes moved to the people standing behind Onew.  
Cas was standing there.  
“I would be honored to be a member of Onew’s team. I thank the other coaches for their consideration.”  
Dean bowed respectfully to the coaches he hadn’t chosen before making his way to Onew, bowing and shaking his hand before stepping to the end of the line stretching behind him.  
The host stepped back to the center of the stage,  
“Our competitors will now have tonight to meet their team, tomorrow there will be big changes. Keep watching K-Pop Star to find out what happens next.”


	16. Breathe-Miss A

Breathe

Dean followed the line of his team with Onew at its head off the stage, and continued out of the warehouse with the main sound stage, and into another smaller building on the complex. When the line came to a halt the group fell into a single line facing a wall of mirrors in what was obviously their team’s practice area.  
“Welcome to K-Pop Star. The competition you’ve gone through to get here was just an audition, the competition starts now. Its going to get harder, its going to go faster, and there aren’t anymore classes, no one’s going to tell you how to do things, you’re just going to be told to do it, and expected to do it well. This is an unforgiving world you’ve chosen, but if you listen to me I’ll get you through it and give you the tools you need to make a life out of this.”  
Onew studied the people assembled in front of him,  
“If any of you aren’t prepared to work, aren’t prepared to sacrifice sleep and practice until even blinking hurts, then please leave now, because you staying will only take time away from those who are willing to work, and you will be wasting my time. My group is preparing to release an album I promise you there are better things I could be doing right now, but I’ve chosen, as have the other members of my group to come and help you start in the industry we love, and I expect you to appreciate that.”  
Dean suppressed a grin, he could tell Onew was trying to project a tough, stern front, but it came across to Dean as all marshmallow. Bobby could give him lessons.  
Cas however took every stern word to heart, and resolved to work harder than he ever had before.  
Onew studied the people in front of him,  
“Okay good. Let’s get started.”  
Onew separated them out, and stepped to the mirror,  
“Tomorrow we will perform a team routine, since we wound up with exactly five on our team I’m going to teach you SHINee’s latest single ‘View’ so line up and we’ll start counting it off.”  
Onew tapped his hand against his leg and started with the first eight count.  
Learning a routine from Onew was an entirely new experience, he went quickly and took no prisoners, breaks were short and few and far between, and he had no patience for laziness. The first person who made noises about not working anymore until there was food was sent with a body guard to procure food, and told that if he did so quickly and without complaint he would be allowed to rejoin the group when he returned.   
Dean heard muttering from the boy until the door slammed shut behind him, and the look of frustration Onew wore at the unwillingness to work reminded Dean very forcefully of Ellen, that he had to struggle not to laugh.  
Though of course no one was complaining when their banished team member returned with a tribute of take out spicy chicken.  
Onew even allowed an entire half hour break for them to eat.  
Half an hour later they were stretching so their muscles weren’t injured from working cold and Dean spotted a frustrated look on Cas’s face, he slid a little closer and smiled reassuringly, but didn’t get a chance to talk to him because they were back to work and the pace was far too fast for an actual conversation.  
It was two in the morning when they successfully completed the routine the first time, and it was four by the time they could do it repeatedly, and Onew let them go for a couple hours of sleep, breakfast and some coffee. They were to reconvene at ten the next morning for another couple of hours practice before filming.  
Dean laid his head on Cas’s shoulder while they were waiting their turn to climb in the van, and was asleep before they pulled out of the parking lot.  
Dean managed to open his eyes long enough to make it to their room and collapse on the bed before he was deeply asleep again. Cas shook his head and pulled Dean’s shoes off before tugging a blanket over him and heading to the shower before he fell into his own bed.  
The alarm went off after far too few hours of sleep, and Dean dragged himself from his bed to the shower barely cracking his eyes open until the water poured over his sore muscles from the day before, after about five minutes he started to feel connected to his body, and like an accomplished dancer, not just a giant bundle of sore muscles.  
Dean’s first words to Cas that morning were,  
“Cas you are a god .”  
This was in response to the mug of coffee and microwave ramyun that waited for him on his night stand,  
“I’m aware, but please don’t blow my cover, people may say the competition is rigged.”  
Dean snorted into his coffee and shook his head,  
“I think I can manage it, seeing as it’s a divine mandate.”  
Cas nodded imperiously over his own coffee,  
“I knew it would be worth my time taking you on as a supplicant.”  
Dean would have retorted but his mouth was full of noodles so the most he could manage was a full cheeked glare that would have made any self respecting chipmunk jealous, Cas grinned,  
“Eat your breakfast Dean, who knows when we’ll see food again.”  
Dean shrugged good naturedly and returned to his food, alternating between bites of noodles and sips of coffee as Cas watched with an expression akin to sick fascination.  
Cas waited until Dean shoved a big mouthful of noodles into his mouth before he spoke,  
“You were very sexy yesterday.”  
Dean froze in the act of lifting more noodles with his chopsticks staring at Cas as he chewed frantically so he could swallow and respond to that,  
“I…uhm…I…dude I got nothing.”  
Dean floundered over his words as Cas raised an eyebrow,  
“I am capable of recognizing things as sexy Dean, it doesn’t mean I want to have sex with you.”  
Dean turned Cas’s words over in his mind,  
“Seems reasonable.”  
Dean flashed a cocky grin at Cas,  
“Feel free to let me know whenever I’m sexy, its good for my ego.”  
Cas rolled his eyes,  
“Forgive me Lord, I knew not what I was doing.”  
Dean flashed the same cocky grin again before returning to his food.  
A few minutes later Dean drained the last of his coffee,  
“Okay I’m going to grab some dance clothes, and something to change into for filming, you all set?”  
“I have to dress, but I have my clothes selected for filming, I left a hanging bag on your bed for your change of clothes so they don’t wrinkle.”  
Dean smiled genuinely,  
“Thanks Cas.”  
Cas smiled at the easy camaraderie he shared with Dean,  
“How funny that I came to the other side of the world to find what I spent so much time searching for back home.”  
Cas was broken from his thought by Dean poking his head out of the bedroom,  
“Cas?”  
Cas leaned forward to be in Dean’s line of sight,  
“Yes Dean?”  
Dean held up a simple black top hat,  
“Can I borrow this?”  
Cas rolled his eyes,  
“Yes Dean, now hurry, its almost time to leave.”  
Dean flashed Cas a smile and ducked back into the room for another minute, before he emerged dressed to dance and carrying his change of clothes,  
“Go get yourself ready slow poke.”  
Dean snarked sticking his tongue out at Cas, Cas rolled his eyes again before sauntering slowly down the hall towards the bedroom.  
Less than five minutes later Cas was standing with Dean, and their change of clothes in the lobby waiting for the rest of the contestants to trickle in, and to see what they could gauge of everyone’s game plan.  
Claire was the next down stairs dressed and ready to appear on camera that morning when she spotted Dean and Cas with their garment bags, and pouted,  
“That’s so smart, I should I have thought of that, I’m going to look like Alice Cooper by the time filming starts.”  
Dean smirked at Claire,  
“Such is the wisdom of years young Padawan.”  
Claire glared at Dean and pulled out her head phones to head off any further conversation.  
“You have such a way with women my friend.”  
Cas deadpanned, grinning when Dean threw a play punch at his shoulder.  
“You have never once seen me flirt.”  
“I think I may be glad of that.”  
Dean glared  
“I’ll have you know I flirt very well with people I decide to pursue romantically.”  
Cas patted Dean on the head gently,  
“Of course you do.”  
Dean glared and ran his fingers through Cas’s styled pink hair.  
Cas opened his mouth to tell Dean off, before just laughing,  
“Let’s call a truce before this gets ugly.”  
Dean nodded gravely,  
“Agreed.”  
Dean extended his hand to Cas who shook it, before they both lost the fight to not laugh.  
They were still chuckling when the vans arrived, and the contestants in the lobby filed outside.  
“Cas, aren’t we a few people short?”  
Dean looked around spotting Claire, Bela, and Maggie, but no one else from the American side of things.  
Cas nodded tightly,  
“I noticed that as well.”  
Dean leaned forward to tap Claire on the shoulder,  
“Where’s Amy?”  
He whispered to her when she leaned back,  
“Throwing up, I let the security office know, they said they were gonna send someone to check on her.”  
Dean nodded with a sympathetic expression before settling back next to Cas.  
“Does your concern extend to Kali?”  
Cas whispered to Dean, who moved his hand in the eternal ‘ish’ gesture,  
Cas snorted and Dean defended,  
“Well I mean I hope she’s not dead or seriously injured, but as for her staying in the competition, ehh.”  
Cas shook his head,  
“And here I thought you such a gentle innocent.”  
Dean waggled his eyebrows in a way that was supposed to make him look evil, but resulted in cracking Cas up.  
Dean rolled his eyes and leaned his head against the glass going over counts in his mind determined to be completely on point with the routine today.  
When they pulled up to the parking lot, each person dispersed to their team’s practice space, Onew was stretching in front of the mirrored wall as his team filed in.  
“Good morning.”  
His greeting was returned as everyone fell into place to start stretching in anticipation of a hard, fast paced practice.  
They were not disappointed.  
Onew was a perfectionist, he stopped and criticized and corrected and started them over. Grueling would have been an understatement.  
Finally a halt was called to the torture and Dean had to resist the urge to lay down where he stood and take a nap.  
“So filming starts soon, so here I have an envelope containing your daily idol challenge, and the team that does the best in these challenges will have an advantage going into the individual challenge. Do you all understand?”  
Five heads nodded and Onew slid a finger under the envelope’s flap and pulled the card inside out. He read it silently to himself first and grinned in a way that said he had found himself in whatever situation the contestants were going to be thrown in.  
“The van with your performance clothes has broken down and never arrived at the venue. You have to make what you’re wearing work for you.”  
Dean had to swallow a bark of laughter at the horrorstruck look that appeared on Cas’s face, and looked down at his own work out clothes, before looking at the people around him.  
“Cas if we start talking now while everyone else is freaking out, we can pull this off.”  
Cas nodded still in a state of shock when Dean stepped forward,  
“Look everyone, I know this isn’t what we expected, but now that its happened we can make the best of it, everyone is dressed fairly similarly, so with a little work we can make it look cohesive.”  
The others turned and looked at Dean with hopeful expressions, and Dean tried to smile reassuringly,  
“Do we have access to a pair of scissors?”  
Onew looked down at the card,  
“It doesn’t prohibit scissors, so I guess if you can find it you can use it.”  
Dean turned back to his teammates,  
“Okay people we need a pair of scissors, a pocket knife, anything we can cut fabric with.”  
Everyone ran to their dance bags and dug through them while Dean poked around the practice room seeing what he could find in corners, a couple of minutes later the one girl on the team returned triumphantly with a small pair of scissors used to cut false eyelashes.  
Dean examined the small scissors before grinning,  
“Perfect. Okay now to ask a really weird and somewhat creepy question. Are you wearing some kind of sports bra under your shirt?”  
The girl immediately took on a wary expression and she took a full step away from Dean before answering,  
“Yes I am, why?”  
Dean nodded decisively,  
“Good, are you shy?”  
The girls stepped back another pace,  
“Define shy…”  
Dean sighed this was not going how he planned it,  
“I want to cut your shirt, which I can’t do if you’re in it, or if it will overly expose you.”  
The girl’s face immediately relaxed,  
“Oh, that’s alright then. I’ll go behind the partition and hand you my shirt and you can cut it.”  
Dean nodded and shooed her towards the partition, and a second later her balled up t shirt flew over the partition hitting Dean in the head, he tugged it off his shoulder with a laugh,  
“Well that’s a first. Cas come help me.”  
Cas came and held the shirt up as Dean cut the sides out from shoulder to hip, and removed the collar. Dean balled the shirt up and tossed it back over the partition hoping in a small part of his heart to hit his teammate in the head in revenge. When she stepped around the partition her entire look had changed, instead of cute, and sporty, she now looked edgy and sexy. Dean studied her long hair,  
“Cas help her put her hair up into a super high ponytail, make it kind of fancy.”  
Cas nodded and drew the girl over to sit in a corner and began to pull a brush through her hair gathering it to the crown of her head.  
“Okay next person, hand me your shirt.”  
Dean worked his way through the group removing the sides and collars of everyone’s shirt.  
“Okay now everyone do smoky eye make up, and we just may look like we meant for this to happen.”  
Onew was watching silently from the front of the room with a vaguely impressed expression.  
Everyone applied their makeup quickly and assembled back in front of Onew, who paced in front of them.  
“Very good use of the resources you had, and some very quick thinking, this whole thing almost looks planned. Now we’re going to head over to the sound stage for filming. Don’t embarrass me.”  
They lined up behind Onew who lead them through the parking lot and into the adjacent building, They lined up behind their coach's chair all with their arms folded behind their backs, and neutral confident expressions on their faces.  
Dean studied the other lined up teams out of the corners of his eyes, he noticed that Amy was still missing, and Claire did not look like Alice Cooper, he noticed Kali with her team looking less than thrilled in an obviously borrowed pastel outfit and her hair in a sedate braid, but before he could observe anything else the host was onstage and it was time to focus.  
“Welcome back to K-Pop Star. Today each of the coaches will present their teams performing a cover of a song from their coach's group. After the presentation the judges will score our contestants both on their performance, and on their secret idol mission. After the judges have scored the routines we will reveal the idol mission and ask the audience to vote, once both scores have been tallied we will reveal which team has the advantage for the individual elimination challenge. So with no further adieu, Luna will present her team performing ‘Electric Shock.’”  
Dean watched Kali as she walked on stage, and seemed to be considering quitting the competition to avoid appearing on camera in a pastel outfit, but pushed through it.  
The routine was cute and in time with the music, if nothing spectacular, and the team definitely had not been able to coordinate their on the spot outfits well, it looked rag tag.  
Next Joon’s group performed a well put together version of ‘Stay’ and managed to look like they had at least discussed their outfits ahead of time.  
Then it was their turn, they filed on stage as they were announced, and lined up waiting for the music.   
Cas tried to become lost in the music, but he was focused on where he was, on watching his team mates, their routine was tight, the other coaches had clearly bowed to their team’s wishes for food and sleep, whereas Onew had just driven his team through the night, striving for perfection, the same perfection that made SHINee what they were. The drive for that kind of perfection didn’t stop for basic human needs, it conquered them where they could be conquered, and met them at their most basic where they could not. Cas understood why. Doing this was a high, it was the most perfect high to be on the stage alive with the energy of the people you were performing with, and the people who had come to see you perform, and Cas could understand dedicating your life to the pursuit of this high, of this moment, and on that stage, Cas became a convert, he dedicated his life, his being, to the pursuit of this fleeting moment. At that moment K-Pop became more than a much fantasized about escape from an abusive and miserable life. It became his god, his reason, and Cas knew their would never be anything else for him.  
Dean felt alive, he felt like he was on something, his whole body felt electric, powerful. In that moment Dean felt like he was at the foot of a Muse. Music had always been a living spirit to him, but the spirit had never been as strong as it was in that moment. It was alive and Dean was a part of it.  
When his group finished the applause was thunderous, and Dean and Cas took it in, and were raised and made new by it. They both knew they would wear this moment like a tattoo for the rest of their lives.  
They stepped to the far left side of the stage and waited while the other teams lined up, and the host joined them at center stage,  
“Now that our judges have seen what our teams can do, its time to reveal the idol challenge, our contestants had their change of clothes for filming taken away, and were left to pull a comprehensive look together from they had in their dance bags. Now we ask the audience to vote on which team you think pulled together the best look, and the advantage will be awarded when we come back.”  
The host smiled at the cameras for a moment before walking off stage. A stage hand came up pushing a cart loaded down with bottled water distributing it to the waiting contestants, who were taking advantage of the break to stretch and keep their muscles from seizing up as they got cold. Kali wandered over to Cas and Dean and smiled in a way that made Dean very interested and very scared all at the same time, while simply prompted an eye roll from Cas.  
“Yes Kali?”  
Her voice was sickly sweet in a way that made Dean go instantly to scared,  
“I need some help stretching, would either of you be willing to help a girl out…”  
She took a suggestive step forward,  
“Or both of you, I bend quite a bit.”  
Dean’s eyebrows raised, and he fought the urge to take a reflexive step back,  
“Why don’t you see if someone from your team can help you, I don’t think we’re really supposed to mix on set.”  
Kali shot him a glare before cozying up to Cas,  
“How about you Angel, up for a little mixing?”  
Kali reached to brush a strand of Cas’s hair out of his eyes, and Cas caught her by the wrist,  
“I did not give you permission to touch me Kali.”  
Cas growled at her in a low tone trying to keep what was sure to become an altercation from getting out of hand.  
“But I want to touch you.”  
Kali whined in what she clearly thought was an attractive manner, and Cas sighed heavily,  
“That doesn’t really matter Kali, it is my choice to be touched or not, and I choose not. I expect that you will respect that, and not invade my personal space. I do not find you sexually appealing so you are wasting your time here, go find someone else, someone who wants to play with you.”  
Kali glared and snatched her hand away from Cas before turning to Dean with a sensual pout on her full lips,  
“I said someone who wants to play with you Kali.”  
She threw Cas a look over her shoulder,  
“Ooh possessive aren’t we. You should keep it in your pants in public lover boy, idols aren’t allowed to date, let alone date homosexually. Hate for that to slip to the press.”  
With that she winked at Cas in dramatic way before sauntering back over to her team.  
“That girl terrifies me, and I don’t really know why.”  
Cas nodded,  
“She does give off, what I imagine to be, a similar vibe to a female praying mantis.”  
Dean nodded watching Kali for a second longer,  
“You said it brother.”  
Before they could speculate on Kali any longer the host walked back on the stage accompanied by a stage hand who collected everybody’s water bottles before they were counted back into filming.  
“Welcome back to K-Pop Star. Over the break we tallied the scores of the judges with the votes of the audience and the rankings are as follows. In third place Joon's team, in second place Luna's team, which means the winning team belongs to none other than SHINee's Onew!”  
The host was forced to pause as the Shawols behind Onew screamed their approval of the judging, and Onew stood and bowed prompting his team to do the same.  
When the screams finally died down the host smiled and raised his microphone back to his mouth,  
“For their elimination challenge each contestant much sing acapella, in a language assigned to them by the judges, the choices of language are English, Japanese, or Korean. Our winning team's advantage will be that they may select their own language, rather than having one assigned to them. When we come back to the stage Joon will send the members of his team up to perform first. Stay tuned to K-Pop Star!”  
All the contestants smiled and waved for a few seconds before they were cleared from filiming. Onew lined his team up and marched them out the doors of the sound stage for their hour of rehearsals, while the judges moved among the other teams and assigned each contestant their language before releasing them. As Joon's team came in last place his was the last to have their assignments.  
Dean and Cas smiled and waved at the fans as they moved through the sound stage and into their team's building.  
When they arrived in the building they were surprised to see a pretty girl lounging on a bean bag with a pair of headphones complete with LED lights and cat ears and her eyes closed. Onew rolled his eyes when he saw her before grinning mischievously and creeping slowly behind her obviously with the intent to grab and scare her. He crept until he was looming over her with his hands out stretched to her shoulders, when without opening her eyes she reached up and tugged a lock of Onew's hair giggling softly.  
Dean was shocked when a girl who appeared obviously Korean opened a pair of blue green eyes, he realized he was staring when Cas leaned over to whisper in his ear,  
“Colored contacts Dean.”  
Dean shook his head lightly,  
“Nah Jo went through a phase, colored contacts are a flat color, those are all natural dude.”  
Onew held a hand down to help the tiny girl to her feet and schooled his features into a strict expression,  
“What are you doing here? Some of us have jobs.”  
The girl grinned and bumped her shoulder against Onew's side in a way that spoke of great affection,  
“Got bored, didn't feel up to Skype-ing Florida today.”  
Onew nodded and dropped the subject,  
“Well if you're here you're going to help.”  
He then turned back to the rest,  
“Today I have a unexpected treat for you all, this is Hana, she and her sisters are SM's most talented trainees and are due to debut sometime in the next year as a new girl group. Pick her brain, ask her questions, particularly you American recruits. Other than that pick your song, work it, and I'll be going around answering questions.”  
Cas grinned at Dean,  
“Point to you, apparently she's American.”  
Dean nodded,  
“Yeah, well I wanna pick her brain.”  
Cas covered his mouth and fought not to burst out laughing,  
“Am I about to see your somewhat infamous flirting skills?”  
Dean shot Cas a wink before making his way over to the pretty girl,  
“Hi, I'm Dean Winchester.”  
Dean smiled as he turned on the qualified Texas charm and extended his hand to the girl, she took it in hers and shook it firmly,  
“Hi Dean, I'm Hana. It's nice to meet you.”  
Dean leaned against the bar running the length of the mirror, and kept the smile on his face,  
“So I'm supposed to pick your brain, so what secrets can you tell me?”  
Dean dropped his voice an octave on the second half of the sentence hoping to create an intimate conversation,  
“Well...”  
Hana chewed her lip as she considered, and toyed with a silver pendant hung around her neck,  
“This southern boy thing could work for you, make sure you hold on to your accent, and in the next challenge sing a country song, not this new pop country stuff, something classic, like Garth Brooks. Be different.”  
Dean grinned,  
“That sounds like the best advice I've gotten in this whole competition, that pendant is pretty, what is it?”  
Dean leaned closer on the pretext of looking at her pendent which she extended out to him,  
“Its a silver cutout of Korea, with an amethyst where Seoul is, somebody very important gave it to me.”  
Dean smiled but it was his normal sweet smile, not a flirting one,  
“It's a wonderful thing to have people who care about you, and its been a pleasure meeting you Hana, but I have to get to work, don't want to humiliate Texas.”  
Hana smiled and wandered off to help Onew, and Dean made his way back to Cas.  
“Is your reputation as a ladies man secure?”  
He asked in a mock serious tone, and Dean half heartedly slugged his shoulder,  
“I don't poach dude, she's not single.”  
Cas felt his jaw drop,  
“She told you that?”  
Dean rolled his eyes,  
“Yes Cas, the idol in training admitted to the total stranger that she was in a relationship. No. I asked about her necklace and she told me that 'somebody very important' gave it to her, but I know that look, so I thanked her for her time and came over here to be heckled by you.”  
Cas nodded,  
“Well that is rather noble of you Dean, do you think she's with Onew?”  
Both turned to study the idol and the trainee helping one person with a tricky portion of their song and Cas shook his head,  
“No, if anything he's like her brother, just not there you know.”  
Dean nodded,  
“Shouldn't we be working rather than gossiping?”  
Cas nodded gravely,  
“What are you considering?”  
Cas asked,  
“I was thinking about 'Beaches of Cheyenne' by Garth Brooks, make the Texas thing work for me.”  
Cas nodded,  
“I think that will suit you, as well as be different enough from your audition piece to keep people interested.”  
Dean nodded already zoning out on the music.  
Forty five minutes later the team was following Onew back to the sound stage, while Hana slipped off to find an unobtrusive place to sit and watch the rest of filming. They lined up behind Onew and watched as the others lined up and took in their body posture, he noted those that were shaking or bouncing on the balls of their feet, he noted fidgets, and clenched fists, all too soon they were counted in and Joon was standing on stage with the host.  
“Welcome back to K-Pop Star! Now we start our elimination round, Joon will select his first performer and then we will see who stays and who goes home.”  
Joon turned to study his team thoughtfully.  
“My first performer will be Claire.”  
Claire smiled confidently and took the stage stepping to the mic stand that had been set up for the contestants and waiting for the host to make his way to her.  
“So tell me Claire, what language were you assigned?”  
Claire smiled sweetly,  
“I was assigned Korean.”  
The host nodded,  
“And were you able to prepare a song in the given time?”  
Claire nodded,  
“Yes I was.”  
The host leaned in close as if he was waiting to hear a secret,  
“So tell me what song you prepared for us today Claire.”  
Claire smiled,  
“I'm going to be singing 'Luv' by Apink.”  
The host nodded with a smile on his face, clearly an uncle fan,  
“Well best of luck Claire.”  
With that the host stepped away and the lights dimmed until Claire was in a single spot. She took deep breath and tapped one finger against the outside of her leg before she started singing about lost love, and the pain of moving on.  
If there was dry eye in the room it certainly wasn't Dean's, and when Claire finished singing the applause was more than just polite.  
The rest of Joon's team performed and Dean wasn't really paying attention to any of the performances and judging by the polite applause they were receiving neither were the rest of the audience, Joon ended his team's performances with Maggie, who gave a beautiful rendition of BoA's 'Disturbance', and most definitely got a reaction from the crowd.  
Cas had to give it to Joon bracketing his team like that was a good idea, it gave a good first impression and a good ending impression, as well as giving his two strongest singers a chance to stand out, and hopefully blur out the memories of the rest of his team.  
When Luna stepped up to introduce her singers she called Kali first, and when Kali announced that she had been lucky enough to pull English, Dean bit the inside of his cheek since there was no telling what craziness would come out Kali's mouth.  
Kali did not disappoint.  
She sang a rendition of Avril Lavigne's 'Bad Girl'; and was clearly very comfortable with the lyrics that were considered over the edge of propriety in America, and would be downright scandalous in Korea, but more than that she did it well. Dean clapped politely when she finished, and some of the audience followed, while the rest seemed too shocked to react at all.   
Dean risked a glance over his shoulder at Cas who had a speculative look on his face. Dean resolved to speak to Cas about Kali later, curious about the look.  
Kali looked very pleased with herself as she sauntered off stage, and if Luna's smile looked a little forced when she welcomed Kali back to her team, well that was neither here nor there.  
Bela followed Kali, and had received Japanese as her language, and she sang a very fun version of Girl's Generation's 'Genie', that got the audience back on track, and she was very well received.   
The rest of Luna's team represented themselves well, but after the shock of Kali, Dean knew that they would all pale to that memory, and the memory of Bela bringing things back around to where they should be. The best they could hope for was to be a happy medium in the competition.  
Onew had lined his team up in the order they were going to perform, so Dean wasn't waiting on pins and needles wondering when he was going to perform, though Cas seemed a bit nervous since he would close out the performances.  
The first three members of Onew's team were obviously trying to curry favor with Shawols by singing SHINee songs, and every one of them chose Korean.  
Before he knew what was happening it was Dean's turn, he bantered with the host, and when the lights went down, he took a deep breath and stopped trying to control his accent, he gave into it and the smooth country song that it would carry.  
They packed up all his buckles and shipped his saddle to his dad  
by the the way the house looked she must have took it bad  
The workers come on Monday to fix the door and patch the wall  
they say she just went crazy the night she got the call  
He was up in Wyoming and drew a bull no man could ride  
He promised her he'd turn out  
Well it turned out that he lied  
And their dreams that they'd been living in the California sand  
Died right there beside him in Cheyenne  
They say she just went crazy  
Screaming out his name  
She ran out into the ocean  
And to this day they claim  
That if you go down by the water  
You'll see her foot prints in the sand  
Cause every night she walks the beaches of Cheyenne  
They never found her body  
just her diary by the bed  
It told about the fight they had and the words that she had said  
When he told her he was ridin'  
She said then I don't give a damn  
if you never come back from Cheyenne  
Dean trailed off as the lights came up and the audience applauded loudly. He took a bow and stepped off the stage to rejoin his team. He tapped his hand against Cas's hand as he stepped back into line in front of him, only seconds before Cas was called to finish off the performance.  
Cas stepped to the mic stand and spoke precisely, if politely to the Host before the lights went down and it was time for the closing number.  
Like a small boat on the ocean  
Sending big waves into motion  
Like how a single word can make a heart open  
I might only have one match  
But I can make an explosion  
And all those things I didn't say  
Wrecking balls inside my brain  
I will scream them loud tonight  
Can you hear my voice this time?  
This is my fight song  
Take back my life song  
Prove I'm alright song  
My power's turned on  
Starting right now I'll be strong  
I'll play my fight song   
And I really don't care if nobody else believes  
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me  
Losing friends I'm chasing sleep  
Everybody’s worried about me  
In too deep  
Say I'm in too deep  
And its been two years I miss my home  
But there's a fire burning in my bones  
Still believe  
Yeah I still believe  
And all those things I didn't say   
Wrecking balls inside my brain  
I will scream them loud tonight  
Can you hear my voice this time?  
This is my fight song  
Take back my life song  
Prove I'm alright song  
My powers turned on  
Starting right now I'll be strong  
I'll play my fight song  
And I really don't care if nobody else believes  
'Cause I still got a lot of fight left in me  
Cas rocked the house, his voice spoke of longing for freedom of being something more, it was a yearning that touched every heart and every dormant restless spirit, and given up dream in the room.  
Dean knew then that he may not win this, because he knew he couldn't follow that. That no one in the competition could follow that. And if the beaming expression on Onew's face as he took the stage to close out his team was anything to go by Onew knew he couldn't follow it either.  
The host found a break in the roaring applause and cheers, and stepped up to smoothly close out the show.  
“Tomorrow on K-Pop Star find out who won the challenge and whose going home. Make sure to get online and vote for your favorites. Goodnight!”  
The filming was counted out and the host stepped over to a huddle of directors as the contestants were herded out of the sound stage by their coaches.   
Onew lined his team up in the parking lot,  
“Good work today, go home get some rest, tomorrow we film the results show and we don't have anything to learn for that. Your things have been packed into the vans to go back to the dorms. Good night.”


	17. Symptoms-SHINee

Symptoms

Cas was chewing at the edge of his thumb nail the whole ride back to the dorm a troubled expression clouding his face. Dean wanted to check and make sure he was alright, but would never reveal anything that could be a weakness in front of their competitors.  
It was a long and awkwardly silent ride, as everyone seemed to come to a consensus to ostracize Cas after his stellar performance. Dean shot occasional glares around the van, completely furious that the competition had sunk to this level.  
When they finally arrived Dean was prepared to storm up to his dorm with Cas to escape all the drama, when the producer stopped all the contestants,  
“May I have your attention for a moment?”  
The contestants circled her with tired guarded expressions on their faces,  
“I know that there have been a number of inquiries made as to the whereabouts of Miss Pond. This morning Miss Pond was rushed to the local ER with severe stomach pain, a high fever, and throwing up, she was diagnosed with severe appendicitis and rushed into emergency surgery. Due to some complications with the surgery, she will be remaining in the hospital for a few days, after which she will be flown home for continued care. Sadly she will not be continuing on in the competition, if any one wished to send Miss Pond any messages they can be delivered to the security office. That is all good night.”  
Dean grabbed Cas by the elbow and steered him towards the elevators, before anybody else had a chance to react, he could just make out the producer's last words,  
“Miss Mahakali the directors wish to have a word with you, please come with me.”  
Kali glared fiercely but stalked to the side of the producer who had fixed her with a steady disapproving glare.   
The elevator doors slid shut and Dean finally allowed himself to look at Cas with concern, but stayed silent until he had keyed them into their dorm room.  
“Sit down Cas.”  
Cas sat woodenly on the couch and Dean ducked into the kitchen setting water to boil, before going back to his room and rummaging around to come up with Sam's going away gift, a large box of individual flavored hot chocolate mixes, he grabbed two peppermint hot chocolates and made it back in time for the water to boil.  
He added water and mix to two mugs before taking them into the living room and forcing a mug into Cas's hands.  
“What's wrong Cas?”  
Cas sipped at the chocolate tentatively,  
“I'm going to be eliminated.”  
Of all the things Dean was prepeared to hear come from Cas's mouth, that hadn't made the list.  
“Uhm...what?”  
Cas shot Dean a glare,  
“Don't patronize me, I know I failed completely in the a capella challenge, and I have to prepare myself to go home.”  
Dean stared a Cas in complete shock,  
“Cas, Onew wouldn't have let you close the show if he thought you were going to drop the ball.”  
Cas sent Dean an almost feral glare,  
“Thank you for reminding me I let him down as well.”  
Cas snarled over the rim of his mug, Dean sighed and rubbed his face into his hands,  
“Cas you didn't drop the ball, or let anyone down. You closed the show, no one could have followed that or touched it. It was incredible and if they had told me I had to follow that I would have ceded the competition immediately. Because I know I couldn't, I simply couldn't.”  
Cas gave Dean an odd look,  
“It sounded so terribly awkward to my ears.”  
Dean shrugged sipping on his chocolate,  
“then evidently terribly awkward works for you. Don't go in tomorrow expecting to be sent home, walk in there with your head held up. If anything I think Kali is going to get sent home, her song choice was way over the line.”  
Cas nodded thoughtfully,  
“That is one of those things that's either going to make her or sink her. Though she does seem determined to stick with this dark desires sex appeal that she has been working with.”  
Dean nodded,  
“Wonder how it went over.”  
Cas shrugged,  
“I suppose we'll find out tomorrow.”  
Dean nodded and flopped back on the couch careful not to spill his drink,  
“Let's just take it easy and watch something on Hulu, I don't have the energy to stress this competition tonight, we can relax and make cards to send to Amy. I think we can afford to be nice publicly now that she's not our competitor anymore.”  
Cas nodded,  
“That sounds like a very agreeable way to pass an evening.”  
Dean logged onto his Hulu account, and flipped through the options on the home screen,  
“Dude what about Firefly?”  
Dean turned to Cas with a curious expression his face, unsure of Cas's feelings towards science fiction and was pleased when he saw a broad smile on Cas's face,  
“Shiny.”  
Dean beamed,  
“That's it you like K-P,op and Firefly, there's nothing for it Cas, you're going to have to marry me.”  
Cas quirked an eyebrow at Dean,  
“I'll consider your offer, something better may come along after all.”  
Dean nodded with a mock grave expression,  
“That makes sense, I suppose I can give you some time to think about my admittedly sudden proposal.”  
Cas raised an eyebrow at Dean,  
“Well of course, after all you would hate to earn yourself a black mark in the companion registry.”  
Dean nodded  
“Then I would have to rely on my personality to win women.”  
Cas flopped next to Dean on the couch carrying an art kit,  
“God help you.”  
Dean shot Cas a look and they both burst out laughing, the rest of the night was spent watching Firefly and designing a jumbo card for Amy, that they planned to invite people to sign the next morning before leaving it with security.  
They fell asleep with Firefly still playing in the background.  
The alarm on Dean's phone went off at a relatively calm hour of five am and Dean shook Cas, whose head had fallen onto his shoulder at some point during the night,  
“Time to wake up buddy, we gotta get ready for filming.”   
Cas stuck his tongue out at Dean without opening his eyes,  
“I am just going to wear what I had picked out for yesterday, so I can be lazy for a few minutes.”  
Dean considered and set his phone to buzz in twenty minutes,  
“Works for me.”  
Dean leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes, enjoying laying in, even if only for a few minutes.  
Twenty minutes later Dean's phone buzzed again and he shook Cas,  
“C'mon Cas, I gave you an extra twenty minutes, now you really do have to get up.”  
Cas stuck his tongue out again before sighing and opening his eyes.  
“Whose going to shower first?”  
Dean shrugged gently not wanting to dislodge Cas from his shoulder,  
“Up to you.”  
Cas groaned and pushed himself up off the couch stretching before he padded down the hallway to the bathroom. Dean followed suit heading to the kitchen to dig something up for breakfast.  
When Cas came out of the shower there was instant ramyun and coffee waiting for him on his bedside table, he grinned picking up the coffee and taking a deep drink, he heard the shower turn on, and hurried to finish eating and dress.  
When Dean came out of the shower Cas was standing in a mirror adjusting a cravat that added a Victorian touch to an otherwise modern outfit of slim fit slacks and a tuxedo collared shirt, the jacket he had draped over his arm had a modern cut that swept down to tails, and he presented a charming mix of vintage and modern. He topped the whole thing off with a top hat and shot a crooked grin at Dean before turning,  
“How do I look?”  
Dean studied him,  
“On anyone else that outfit would look ridiculous, but on you its amazing.”  
Cas beamed and sat down at the mirror and began making up his eyes the way Crowley had taught him as Dean began to pull on a pair of tight black leather pants, he did a double take and nearly stabbed himself with an eyeliner pencil when he realized the sides of Dean's legs had an illusion that made it look like a series of leather straps rather than a solid piece of fabric. Dean added a black and silver military style sleeveless shirt and ringed his eyes in gold before pulling on his boots.  
“How about me?”  
Cas studied Dean closely as he turned,  
“Sticking with the porn butt look I see.”  
Cas remarked dryly and Dean smirked at him.  
“I need a hat, any recommendations?”  
Cas was silent for a moment as he considered,  
“I don't think either of us has a hat that will compliment that outfit, I think you'll have to go without.”  
Dean studied himself in the mirror,  
“I think it works. Ready Cas?”  
Cas slid his shoes on and nodded standing up with his dance bag and Amy's card.  
“Let's go, mon ami.”  
Dean grinned and led the way, as soon as he was out the door of the dorm he put a confident swagger in his step  
They lingered in the lobby offering their card to people as they came down.  
Maggie complimented Cas on his Victorian fusion look, and jokingly accused him of stealing her 'thing' as she was dressed in a steampunk style again. She wrote an effusive note in the card drawing cute little characters around her message.  
Most of the Korean contestants wrote something polite, and wished Amy well, and despite not knowing her, their messages seemed genuine.  
Claire signed the card and handed Dean a letter to add with it, Bela followed Claire adding her well wishes, even kissing the card to leave a lipstick print.  
Dean and Cas were musing on how well Amy was liked even by her competitors when Kali swept into the room.  
Kali had her hair swept up in some elaborate style that left pieces to curl around her face, she had a bindi on her forehead and bangles adorned her wrist. Kali was wearing a sari in a deep blood red silk.   
It took Dean a second look to realize that under the sweep of the Sari across her shoulder was only bare skin, so it gave her the appearance of rising out of a pool of blood.  
Dean leaned over to Cas,  
“Did you see Kali? Is it just me or does she look like she's been bathing in blood?”  
Cas studied Kali before nodding,  
“It does give that illusion. Yet somehow manages to be seductive.”  
Dean looked a Kali again,  
“Yeah it does, and it makes me uncomfortable that I find it attractive.”  
“I'm going to go ask her if she would like to sign Amy's card.”  
Cas decided and Dean raised his hands in surrender,  
“Better you than me man.”  
Cas gripped Amy's card and made his way to Kali,  
“Kali?”  
She turned to study Cas with a smirk playing on her deep red lips,  
“Yes Angel?”  
“We made a card for Amy and we're passing it around, would you like to sign it?”  
Kali's smirk turned nasty,  
“Why would I want to do that, I'm glad she's gone...”  
Kali leaned in to purr in Cas's ear,  
“...my only regret is that she didn't die on the table.”  
Cas stared at Kali in fury for a moment before turning deliberately and walking to the security office and turning in their offering for Amy.  
Cas returned to Dean's side and schooled his face to be impassive, when the producer arrived to collect them her lips thinned in disapproval at the sight of Kali.  
Dean watched the producer's face and Kali's reaction, and wondered what had happened there.  
They all filed into the vans for drive to the sound stage, this part of their day was becoming routine, and Dean and Cas passed the time by playing roulette on Dean's phone.  
When they arrived and filed out of the vans they were herded directly into the sound stage and to makeup ahead of filming, having no rehearsals, and no mysterious envelopes of doom.  
Crowley stopped by to check on Dean and Cas as stage makeup was applied, he studied their outfits quietly for a moment,  
“Those outfits should look ridiculous.”  
Was all he said before he walked away.  
Dean glanced at Cas,  
“I think you were right about this feeling being normal with him.”  
The red head applying Dean's make up giggled a little,  
“Don't let Crowley worry you, he thinks he's the King of our little hell, but if he hadn't liked the way you were dressed, it would have been painfully apparent.”  
Dean smiled and the girl and relaxed back into the pre-filming preparations.  
Soon they were lined up with their coaches on stage trying their best not to fidget or show any nerves.  
The producer made her way to the stage,  
“ So today's filming will be short, most of the results episode will be flashbacks to the performance episode, and flip cam film. So in about an hour we'll release you to your coach for rehearsals for the next episode. Is everybody ready? Good.”  
The host took the stage and everyone smiled as they were counted into filming,  
“Welcome back to K-Pop Star! Today we find out who won our individual challenge and who will be going home. But first our judges have informed me that we have an issue to be dealt with, so Mr. Park representing our judges will explain.”  
J.Y. Park took the stage with a solemn expression on his face.  
“Yesterday our contestants were given the freedom to choose their own songs with the expectation that they would conduct themselves in a certain manner, most of our contestants managed this, however one decided that our content rules didn't apply to her. Miss Mahakali will you please step forward?”  
Kali glided to J.Y. Park's side attempting to look submissive and contrite,  
“Miss Mahakali, due to your violation of our content rules yesterday, and your violation of dress code today, we have no choice but to ask you to remove yourself from the competition. Your invitation to compete here has been revoked.”  
A murderous expression briefly flashed across Kali's face before she pressed her palms together and bowed, before gliding off the stage, where she could have her temper tantrum in private.  
Dean caught a glimpse of Bela out of the corner of his eye and she seemed to struggle containing her glee at Kali's dismissal.  
The host returned to the stage,  
“Unfortunately I must also report that Miss Amy Pond has been forced to withdraw from the competition due to appendicitis requiring a surgical repair. Our thoughts and prayers for a quick recovery are certainly with her.”  
The studio was silent for a moment as everyone thought of Amy before the host smiled again and got the show moving.   
“Our viewers were certainly vocal online, some of our contestants even have fan clubs forming! The contestant who received the most online votes is...”  
The host broke off as there was a drum roll before beaming and speaking again,  
“Dean Winchester!”  
Dean stepped forward disbelieving and bowed to the audience and the camera.  
The host made his way to Dean pulling him close to have a quick interview.  
“Dean how does it feel to come first in online votes?”  
Dean beamed,  
“It feels amazing, I am so grateful to the people who took the time to take notice and vote for me.”  
The host smiled,  
“How does it feel to know you beat our second place, Castiel Novak, by a tenth of a percent?”  
Dean's smile never faltered,  
“Castiel is an amazing, talented performer, and its honor to be able to compete with him, and I wish him all the best in the competition.”  
The host nodded smiling and gestured for Cas to join them,  
“Castiel how do you feel coming in such a close second?”  
Cas grinned,  
“Dean is an amazing talent, and I am honored to have finished so close in the rankings, we're on the same team and work together a lot, so its a joy to see a friend do so well.”  
The host spoke to the audience,  
“So polite these young men, well we have another bit of information for these two.”  
He turned back to the boys,  
“Both Castiel and Dean have had fan clubs created on the internet, Dean's fans are calling themselves Hunters, while Castiel's are calling themselves Angels. What do you boys think of that?”  
Dean could feel himself blushing,  
“Like I said I am honored that people have taken notice of me, and now that I find this out I'm truly humbled and plan to work hard to be worthy of such honor.”  
Castiel nodded,  
“I can do no more than echo Dean's sentiments, and add my own gratitude. I will work my hardest to be worthy of the honor fans of the show have shown me.”  
The host smiled in appreciation of their sentiments,  
“Well it certainly seems that the two of you will have lots of eyes on you as the competition continues.”  
Dean and Cas bowed before returning to their place in their team lines, and the host called up the three coaches.  
“So our two most popular contestants are both on your team Onew, how do you feel about that.”  
Dean tried not to wince at what he knew was a trap question, there was no such thing as a good answer.  
Onew grinned at the host,  
“Well of course all of our contestants are talented, but I was very selective and looked for more than just talent for my team, an idol needs something more than talent, and I must say I look forward to seeing where this competition is going to go, as its still anyone's game.”  
Onew smiled at the end and Dean felt admiration, evidently there was such a thing as a good answer.  
Luna was the next to speak,  
“I think its wonderful that our contestants are garnering so much interest, and it is only the first week, I think that we may see more fan clubs pop up as the contest continues.”  
The host smiled and thanked the coach's who walked back to their own teams.  
“Well we certainly have an exciting group this year, and I for one expect big things out of them. When we come back, we'll announce the winner of this weeks elimination challenge challenge, and let me tell you it looks like its going to be tough! Stay tuned to K-Pop Star!”  
They were counted down for a break, so all the contestants hurried and grabbed water, and to touch up their make up. All too soon filming was ready to resume.  
“Welcome back to K-Pop Star! Is everybody ready to announce the winner of the last challenge?”  
The hanging camera swung out to take a shot of the audience screaming and clapping, and the contestants got their first chance to really see the audience, and Dean and Cas were shocked to see people holding signs with their names, Dean felt himself color a little as he gave the audience a small wave.  
They screamed in appreciation.  
When the cameras refocused on the stage the host was beaming,  
“Well folks it looks like we have a tie this week, between Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak! So we're going to invite these two to sing again, but with a little twist they will sing each others songs, and then the audience will vote. All that after a montage of footage from our contestants first day in Seoul. Stay tuned for a sing off!”  
Dean glanced at Cas out of the corner of his eye, he knew Cas's song, since Jo had adopted it a few months earlier as her theme song and blasted it day and night, but as to whether or not Cas knew his song, he had no idea.  
They were counted out from filming and Dean raised an eyebrow at Cas questioningly, and Cas responded with one tight nod.  
Dean felt relief course through him, as the mic was set up on stage and the contestants were arranged on stools to watch, five minutes later it was time for filming to resume. Dean was sitting at the first stool closest to the mic where Cas was standing looking confident.  
“So Castiel are you nervous?”  
Cas smiled,  
“A little, I am always a little nervous right before I perform, but I know the song, and I believe I can give a good performance.”  
The host smiled kindly,  
“Well good luck Castiel.”  
The host stepped away and the single spot focused on Cas, and he took a deep breath before applying his low gravelly voice to the Garth Brooks song, and Dean grinned, Cas did country well, it sounded like he had never performed anything else.  
When the lights came up Cas stepped to the side of the mic stand and bowed deeply before making his way back to the stool left open for him, and shook Dean's hand as he rose to make his way to the mic stand.  
Dean took the mic stand and waited for the host to join him,  
“Dean, are you nervous to follow that performance?”  
Dean grinned in a self deprecating way,  
“I think its going to be a hard act to follow, but I'm going to give it my best, and see what happens.”  
The host nodded and stepped away, and Dean waited for the spot to come down.  
Cas watched, curious to see how Dean would handle a pop song, even if it was part ballad.  
Dean pulled from the ballad side and sang the first verse of the song softly, then gave into the pop in the chorus, rocking back and forth as he sang about his fight song in a voice that in Cas's opinion could inspire the multitudes to war.  
When the spot came up Dean was furiously applauded and he smiled his adorable southern 'awe shucks' smile before bowing and making his way back to the stool next to Cas. The host stepped to center stage,  
“We are going to ask the audience to vote now on which of those performances they thought should be the winning performance for the week, Dean, Castiel, if you'll step over here with me?”  
Dean and Cas rose and followed the host to stand under a large screen that showed three zeroes on either side, and as the audience members picked up the little hand sets that were mounted to the back of the seat in front of them, and entered either 'A' or 'B', and as the votes were entered the numbers over Dean and Cas began to flicker wildly as they were automatically counted.   
Ninety seconds later the numbers came to a halt, over Cas's head was a forty eight, and over Dean's was a fifty two.  
There was a moment of absolute silence.  
Then absolute pandemonium.  
A huge grin broke out over Dean's face, and Cas smiled happy for his friend, the two hugged quickly under the screen before Dean turned to bow to his public.  
“Well we have this week's winner. Dean Winchester the winner of the a capella challenge!”  
After another moment Dean and Cas were subtly herded back to their stools, and a series of spots came over the contestants as the host stepped back to center stage with a solemn expression on his face.  
“Now unfortunately it is time to say good bye to the bottom performer from each team. Starting with Joon's team, will you all please stand?”  
The six members of Joon's team stood in a semi circle around the judge.  
“The bottom performer of your team was Se Kyung, so sadly she will have to leave us.”  
An angry seeming young girl from the Korean group of contestants stormed off stage in a way that made Dean deeply glad that he hadn't been forced to deal with her on his team, the sad expressions on her team's faces seemed just a little forced.  
Joon's team retook their seats, and Luna's was the next to rise and stand around the host with solemn expressions.  
“After the viewer votes, and judges scores were tallied, I am very sorry to announce that Tae Joon has been eliminated from the competition.”  
A somber young man stepped away from the group and bowed deeply to the judges and audience before walking with dignity off the the filming stage.  
The sad expressions on his teammates' faces seemed very genuine as they took their stools and watched to see who was going to be eliminated from the team with the two superstars, they had become the team to watch.  
They stood nervously around the host, well Cas tried to look nervous, Dean as the week's winner was safe, and he was relatively assured that he was safe as the runner up, he could happily watch every other contestant leave. But he put a nervous worried expression on his face.  
“The lowest scorer on your team was...”  
The host trailed off as he opened the third white envelope of the night,  
“...Haneul.”  
Dean shook the hand of their eliminated team member, before Haneul made his bow to the audience and judges, and walked off set with his head held high.  
The host stepped back to the center of the stage,  
“Make sure you come back next week to see the final ten on K-Pop Star!”  
The recording ended and the coach's herded their teams off stage.  
Dean followed making a point to smile and wave at the people holding banners with his name, nudging Cas until he was doing the same.  
They burst momentarily into the sunlight before they were secreted in their own practice room.  
Onew excused himself to set something up for their rehearsal.  
The whole group was surprised to see two girls stretching in front of the mirror, and the girl on their team, whose name Cas had yet to bother learning, stepped forward with a territorial expression on her face.  
Dean stepped forward to say something before the girl could get herself in trouble, but Cas closed a hand around his wrist holding him back, and muttered through the corner of his mouth,  
“Let her shoot herself in the foot.”  
Dean fell quiet and stayed beside Cas watching the impending doom going on in front of him.  
“Excuse me but this is private rehearsal space.”  
She informed the stretching girls snottily.   
Both girls turned to her in unison and raised one eyebrow each, and the first thing Dean noted about them was the blue green color of their eyes,  
“Recognize those eyes Cas?”  
Cas studied the two girls closely for a moment before a triumphant expression flashed briefly across his face,  
“I think those two girls may be the rest of Hana's group, her younger sisters.”  
Dean nodded as the girl on their team opened her mouth to speak again,  
“I said this is private rehearsal space, you can't just come and go as you please, you're not on our team.”  
Both girls remained silent, seeming to be of the 'give someone enough rope they'll hang themselves' school of thought.  
The girl protecting her territory stepped forward and seized each girl by an arm,  
“You have to leave, you're not on our team, you're not our coach, so get out, go spy on somebody else!”  
She yelled attempting to throw the girls forward when an icy voice rang through the room,  
“Just what do you think you're doing?”  
Hana came around the corner with Onew, a furious expression on her face, the girl on their team clearly didn't notice the identical eyes, and thought she now had back up for her actions.  
“I'm attempting to eject two spies.”  
Hana's glare grew even fiercer and her next words were bitten out,  
“Excellent so pray tell why your hands are on my sisters?”  
All of the color drained from her face and she dropped the arms of Hana's sisters, and stepped away from them already trying to stammer out apologies when Hana held a hand up for silence and turned to Onew with a furious look on her face,  
“I know Hana I'll handle it.”  
Onew turned to the shamed member of his team,  
“NaNa...”  
'Oh that was her name.' Cas thought to himself.  
“... please collect your things, for assaulting someone brought in to help you, well really just assaulting someone in general, you are being dismissed from the competition.”  
With that Onew turned away from NaNa and waited silently for her to gather her things and leave.  
NaNa slung her dance bag over her arm and took a deep breath before turning to Onew,  
“So what I'm being kicked out because I pissed off your girlfriend?”  
Onew's face turned to stone,  
“No you are being removed from the competition because you violated the rules about behavior, because you disrespected someone in the business who has taken time out of their schedule to help you.”  
NaNa's face twisted in ugly anger,  
“So what? Its not like they're idols or anything, just trainees, they don't matter!”  
Onew turned and his voice dropped the temperature of the room about a hundred degrees.  
“They have a contract with an agency which is far more than you, now remove yourself from my rehearsal or I will call security and have a report filed with the prosecutor's office.”

NaNa stormed out slamming the door behind her, and Cas turned to Dean,  
“And then there were three.”  
Dean glared at Cas,  
“I hope those two girls are alright.”  
Cas shot him a look,  
“If I thought she was really hurting them I would have helped you pull her off I don't want to win that badly.”  
He snapped before storming off to the partition to change.  
Dean winced as he watched Cas go, and take his words completely out of context. So he bit the bullet and followed Cas over to the partition.  
“Dude I didn't mean that, I didn't think you would put those girls at risk, I was just concerned because their arms look bruised and I said it in a bad way.”  
Cas took a deep breath and counted down from ten silently,  
“I accept your apology Dean.”  
He spoke steadily without turning around. Cas heard Dean sigh and walk away, he used the time it took to change to calm himself down.  
When he joined the stretching group he had centered himself in his mind, he smiled politely at Hana as he moved through the routine feeling the familiar burn in his muscles.  
Dean tried to catch his eye, but Cas just wasn't ready to go there just yet, it still stung that he insinuated that Cas saw two little girls as expendable.  
When they wrapped up the stretching Hana and her two sisters stepped to the front of the room.  
“Today we are going to be teaching you your assigned group routine, as its one Onew is not very familiar with, and one my sisters and I know intimately, not to mention one we adapted for a group rather than a solo, so he asked us to come and teach it to you. Now is anyone else going to have an issue with that?”  
Hana glared around the room and waited for the head shakes,  
“Good then stand up and let's get started.”


	18. Judas-Key

Judas

When the van dropped the contestants off at dorm Dean could barely move from using unfamiliar muscles while Cas strolled comfortably along beside him,  
“Sore Dean?”  
Cas asked a teasing lilt to his voice, Dean managed the energy for a glare,  
“Bite me.”  
Cas rolled her eyes,  
“I'd rather not. I don't put things I find on the floor into my mouth.”  
Dean chuckled,  
“Probably a good rule in general.”  
They made it to the dorm and Dean sighed heavily,  
“Shower, long shower.”  
He threw Cas a lazy salute as he headed towards the bathroom, Cas shook his head, and wondered how much hot water the building had.  
An hour later Dean walked into the living room moving much more comfortably,  
“Okay so help me with some of these hand movements, my fingers keep getting tangled.”  
Cas grinned and sat opposite Dean on the living room floor, and pulled the music up on his phone,  
“Okay so follow me.”  
Cas went through the hand motions, patiently slowing down when Dean got tangled up, and teasing good naturedly, the afternoon's unpleasantness put behind them.  
The next morning Dean and Cas packed for rehearsal and filming, wondering if they would actually get to keep their filming clothes this time, or if they would mysteriously disappear again.  
When it came time to pile into vans again Dean was met with conflicting feelings when only one vehicle pulled up, with only nine people left in the competition they could all fit in one van.  
Cas tried not to smirk when he saw the reduction in necessary transport, it was coming down to the end, and Cas intended to standing in the finale, with Dean if at all possible. He hoped that when it came down to the two of them, and someone won, and someone came in second, that this friendship solidifying between them would be able to survive the inevitable disappointment. It had come to matter a great deal to Cas in a relatively short amount of time, and he dreaded being alone again.  
Dean smiled at the thoughtful look on Cas's face, and wondered what was going through his mind, Dean had come to appreciate Cas's mind, it was devious, and cunning, brilliant, and went in a million different directions at once, talking to Cas was an adventure, you never knew where you were going to end up.  
Dean wanted that mind to have the opportunity to run free, he wanted to take Cas back to Texas with him, drive around on the dirt roads in his baby, work on the ranch, have days with no troubles other than putting one boot in front of the other, and working under the sun. Working on the ranch was peaceful work, it allowed you to think, to find peace, and Dean wanted that for Cas, sensed that he needed it.   
Dean didn't make promises lightly, and he had promised Cas his friendship, and an escape to the ranch, and he would keep that promise, no matter who won, one of them or neither of them.   
Dean knew that if it came down to it, he could be happy on the ranch, he could find peace there, he didn't know what else there was for Cas but this.  
The van stopping outside the sound stage jarred both Dean and Cas from their thoughts. It was time to go to work.  
They all headed towards their rehearsal space determined looks on every face.  
When Dean and Cas made it into their rehearsal space Hana and her sisters were already warming up in front of the mirror, they hung up their filming clothes, and fell in to warm up with them.  
Two hours later Hana declared them ready to perform without humiliating her and Onew walked in with the white envelope that Dean had become terrified of, he turned to Cas,  
“Wonder what it is this time.”  
he muttered under his breath.   
Onew opened the envelope and nodded once,  
“Not too bad this time, unless of course you're afraid of heights...”  
He looked down to read the card,  
“The director of your concert has decided your number needs a little something, so he's adding wires, at least one member of your team must fly on the wires, and it must be worked into the choreography, you have two hours.”  
Dean paled a little, and raised a hand,  
“Can I volunteer to not be on the wires?”  
Onew shrugged,  
“Not really up to me, work it out amongst yourselves.”  
Dean turned a pleading look on his competitors, and Cas mentally sighed, he knew there was no way Dean was getting out of going up on the wires now, not that he had revealed he was afraid of it,  
“I propose that we all go up on wires, it would require the least amount of alterations to our choreography.”  
Dean opened his mouth with a pleading expression on his face, and Cas shot his a look that demanded no argument, so Dean shut his mouth and nodded once tensely. Their team mate grumbled a little but agreed to go along with it.  
Hana came along when they headed to the main stage for their private hour with the wires.  
Between Hana and Onew the routine was re-worked to include the wires in under an hour and they all hit makeup early.  
While they were in the makeup chair the producer came around and was talking to everyone,  
“So we're going to be filming a little differently today, we're just going to film all the performances, and we're not doing individuals today, so after all the routines have been finished, you'll all be done for the day.”  
Dean nodded as much as he could when a makeup artist had a firm grip on his jaw to hold him steady as she applied war paint.  
Dean dressed in the clothes Crowley tossed into his lap as he walked by without a word, and accepted the silver prop gun from Hana. He and his team mate flanked Cas as they waited for the lights to come up.  
When the lights lit he and his team mate stepped even with Cas and Cas began to sing,  
Whenever I'm dressed cool my parents put up a fight...  
The routine focused on a blend of pop dancing, with harder pop and lock movements, and even Dean had to admit the wires really sold it.  
When they were seated in the audience watching the other teams perform, Dean was nodding off and had to resist the urge to lay his head down on Cas's shoulder.  
When all the routines were finished the producer met with them again,  
“This week's epsiode will have to fit into one time slot rather than two. So when the host films his parts he will be announcing who was eliminated, and I have the judge's decision right here...”  
She opened the white envelope, and began to read,  
“...From Joon's team we are very sorry to eliminate Maggie, from Luna's team we are sorry to see Bela leave and from Onew's team we are saying goodbye to MinJoon. Next week we will film the finale for those six remaining in the competition. Take this next week to practice and put at least three routines together. Goodnight.”  
The contestants headed to the van in a daze, shocked at how the competition seemed to be in a hurry to wrap up.  
“Wonder what's going to happen in the finale.”  
Dean muttered to Cas in the van who responded simply by shrugging his shoulders.  
Dean slumped back against the seat, wishing to be out of the uncomfortable environment where the recently eliminated contestants had to ride back to the dorms with the contestants who had made it to the finale. No one spoke the only sound was the hum of the tires on the road.   
When they made it back to the dorms the eliminated contestants headed straight to pack while the van waited for them, and those who made it through lingered in the lobby discussing the upcoming finale, speculating on what it would involve.  
Soon the eliminated contestants stormed back into the lobby and none bothered saying goodbye to those left in the competition, Dean sent Bela a half hearted wave that she didn't return.  
As soon as the others left the contestants drifted back to their dorms to research and decide on routines, in one week they performed for their lives.


	19. Y.O.U-SHINee

Y.O.U.

Dean flopped on the couch and pulled his laptop to him grumbling,  
“I think I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel for routines that can be well performed with only one person, that I know well enough to perform three of in under a week.”  
Cas nodded fixing them both a cup of coffee,  
“I know what you mean, I am struggling to select routines as well.”  
Dean groaned accepting the mug of coffee from Cas,  
“Its going to take me a week to pick three routines, never mind anything else.”  
Cas rolled his eyes,  
“And your fatalistic attitude is accomplishing what exactly?”  
Dean rolled his eyes and sipped at his coffee,  
“It amuses me to mope for a little while before pulling myself up by my bootstraps and getting to work.”  
Cas nodded sagely,  
“Then by all means enjoy your moping.”  
Dean raised his mug and went back to staring at the computer screen again. It seemed to mock him as he flicked through his youtube playlist looking for something suitable.  
Cas watched the videos flicker by until he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.  
“Goodnight Dean, I hope you feel better in the morning.”  
The next week passed in a blur as Dean and Cas spent all their time rehearsing, barely finding time to bid each other good morning and goodnight. Contestants were prohibited from practicing together, so Dean and Cas would drop teasing hints about their routines to each other, all in all the week passed in a blur.   
It seemed to Dean he blinked at it was time to leave to film the finale, he had his hanging bag with an outfit for each routine, and was wearing the nicest of his work out clothes and reisting the urge to fidget next to Cas who looked completely at ease.  
Cas was losing his mind, he was frantically going over all the lyrics in his mind, and hoping his body knew the routines well enough that he would be able to perform them even out of his mind with nerves. But there was no way he would let his competition see him nervous so he managed to lounge against the wall in a way that looked calm.  
When the van arrived both Dean and Cas shuffled in on auto pilot both trying very hard not to think about what lay on the other side of this van ride, and how it would decide their future.  
The ride in the van was eerily silent there was no good natured teasing or little tiffs among the contestants, there were no more teams, and only Dean and Cas seemed to have any sense of camaraderie left, the others were all eyeing each other warily, and clutching their clothing changes close, Cas noted of all the white knuckles and all the circles under people's eyes, he took note that Claire was wearing the wrong color make up and it was making her look ill rather than intimidating. Each contestant was clearly walling themselves off, and Cas was rather hoping for some spats, distraction to the enemy after all.  
When the vans arrived there was no eager scrambling to rehearsal rooms, jut a silent march into the sound stage and to the area set aside for the competitors to store their clothes and have their make up done and touched up, Crowley was prowling around making sure everyone on his team knew what was expected of them.  
Dean and Cas made their way slowly to the area set up for them and handed their hanging bags to Crowley without complaint after removing their first outfit. This process was repeated three more times until Crowley came to the last Korean contestant who was holding onto his hanging bag for dear life.  
“No I don't trust you!”  
Dean and Cas poked their heads around their mirrors at the yelling, to see both the contestant and Crowley wearing enraged expressions.  
“Why would you not trust me?”  
Crowley seemed to manage only between gritted teeth,  
“You're a foreigner, how do I know you won't mess with my things to help one of the others like you get ahead?”  
The contestant growled and Crowley looked honestly shocked as if that was the last thing he expected to hear,  
“Why would I risk my job to rig a competition when I could not possibly care less how said competition turns out?”  
The contestant tossed his head contemptuously,  
“Because all you foreigners are working together to destroy Korea for Koreans! There are already so many foreigners in Korean jobs, there's even an American military base in Korea! Korean idols should be Korean, but no we let anybody do it, there's no national pride anymore! When I win I am going to make it my mission to destroy all non-Koreans in K-Pop!”  
The directors had appeared sometime during the rant with the judges, and as soon a the boy finished ranting security had arrived to escort him off the premises, no one was willing to risk putting him on stage, in front of a live audience in the studio.  
He was still ranting as he was being dragged out by security and the judges were shaking their heads as they headed back to the main stage.  
Dean and Cas settled into their chairs and shot looks at each other,  
“Well that was certainly...something.”  
Dean muttered resisting the urge to shake his head as he was having his eyes lined, Cas was holding his mouth still having his lips colored over,  
“It was at that.”  
Dean watched the rest of the make up be slathered on his face with an impassive expression, and when the make up artist was done and Cas had stepped behind the partition for their row of stations Dean called over to him,  
“Hey Cas?”  
Cas hmm-ed and he was fiddling with a pair of tight jeans,  
“Do you ever feel like a painted whore with all this war paint on your face?”  
Dean heard a strangled laugh, and the sound of hand slamming against the partition as Cas caught himself. Dean smirked and turned back to the mirror until it was his turn to change feeling proud of his little joke.  
When Cas stepped around the partition Dean felt his jaw drop,  
“You look...hot... I'm sorry man there's no other way to put it.”  
Cas smirked,  
“Good, I was going for hot, gotta rake in those votes you know.”  
Dean shook his head and stepped around the partition to pull on his outfit for 'Luv', drawing from the video. his outfit had a touch of the Victorian to it, and Dean thought it made him look like a sexy highway man from one of Ellen's bodice rippers.  
When he stepped around the partition he gave a little twirl for Cas who smiled, but them quickly concealed it with an eye roll,  
“Relaying on your porn butt still I see.”  
Dean turned and wiggled his butt for Cas,  
“There's nothing wrong with talent and packaging, don't hate because I have it all.”  
Cas smirked,  
“I shall endeavor to control my envy.”  
Dean grinned, but wasn't able to respond because they were called to the stage, where a number of stools were arranged on the stage for the contestants. They were no sooner arranged that the host was stepping out and welcoming viewers to the live finale of K-Pop Star.  
The host went on to explain the rules, glossing over the fact that only five finalists were on the stage, not six.  
“In the first of three rounds we will eliminate one person, in the second two, and then the final round will determine the winner. After each round we will ask our studio audience and judges to vote, as well as out viewers, and voting will be open for ten minutes, after ten minutes we will have our elimination. Is everybody ready? Then please welcome Claire to the stage!”  
Claire walked confidently to center stage and waited for her music to start, she flowed through a performance of 'Pretty Boy' from Taemin's solo album, and Dean was forced to admit that she did it well.  
All of the contestants had drawn numbers for the round, and Cas was third, where Dean got the coveted number five  
Soon the host was announcing Cas, and he moved with all the confidence of a feral cat to center stage to wait for his music.  
Dean grinned as he heard the opening strains for Girls' Day 'Something' and remembered Cas talking about this song back in New York.  
Dean wondered why he talked Cas out of it, if he didn't know better Dean would have sworn that this had been choreographed and written just for Cas, Girl's Day would never own the routine the same way.  
The applause after Cas performed was the loudest it had been all day.  
It was clear that the girl after Cas would have preferred being shot in the foot to following that routine. It showed and her routine suffered, it was clear that the applause after her routine was more out of a sense of propriety than anything else.  
Dean began to take deep breaths during the routine right before his, and as such missed most of it, so he had no real idea what he was following, but then maybe that was for the best.  
When the music started for 'Luv' Dean threw himself into it, allowing his mind to submerge into the feelings of what he loved, and trusted the rest to his body.  
When his music ended Dean stood breathing hard, but when the applause broke over him, he couldn't help but to beam as he bowed to the audience and the judges.  
The host stepped forward and announced the ten minute voting period which was the contestants opportunity to go change for their next number.  
Dean simplified the quick change by keeping the same leather pants and just changing his shirt and accessories.  
He was back in his stool in about seven minutes, and then he sat and waited for the others, all of whom turned up over the next ninety seconds.  
At the ten minute mark, the host declared the voting closed, and accepted a white envelope from the judge's table, he pulled back the flap and studied the card inside for a moment.  
“And the contestant eliminated from our first round will be, Sun. Thank you for voting.”  
The host stepped back as the poor girl forced to follow Cas stood and bowed to the judges clearly fighting not to cry on camera.  
The host gave her a moment,  
“Now on to our second round, after which we will be saying goodbye to two more contestants to leave us with our finalists.”  
Everyone’s number moved up one, so Cas was now second and Dean was fourth.  
Dean watched Claire pull off another clean performance, and found himself hoping that Cas blew her out of the water, when her routine ended she walked back to her stool with a confident flip of her hair, and that was when Claire made her fatal mistake, she took her stool again without bowing to the audience, an unacceptable breach of etiquette in Korea, particularly for an aspiring idol.  
Cas stood and once more glided to the center of the stage, wearing brighter colors than Dean had ever seen on him, but it suited him. When the jungle sounds of 'Happiness' echoed around the stage Dean had to force himself not to break out in a huge grin.  
As always Cas executed flawlessly, and the audience loved him for it. Cas bowed as the applause washed over him, beaming in pride at a routine well delivered, and the joy of finding that perfect high again.  
Dean watched the routine that followed Cas this time, the poor boy performing had clearly picked a routine that was beyond his skill with only one week of work, and Dean felt bad for him as he stumbled through it.  
When he was announced Dean smiled genuinely as he took his center mark, and proceeded to hit every precision step in 'Run Devil Run' perfectly. At the end of the routine Dean knew he had done well. He swept a deep bow to the audience as they clapped and cheered his name.  
In that moment Dean knew that it was going to be him and Cas in the finals, and he knew that Cas was going win, and he was somehow okay with that.  
When then ten minute break was called Dean and Cas tore towards the changing area racing for the partition, Cas edged Dean out just barely.  
Cas poured himself into a pair of tight black leather pants and stepped around the partition as soon as he had them done up to allow Dean to change, but discovered Dean pulling a white turtle neck down over the leather pants he was wearing and changing some of his accessories. Dean turned to Cas with a grin,  
“Ready to finish this Cas?”  
Cas nodded and shoulder to shoulder they walked back onto the stage.  
When all five were assembled the host stepped out onto the stage and closed the voting. He stepped forward and accepted a white envelope from the judges, opened it and studied the card inside.  
“At the end of the round our final two are...”  
There was a drum roll in the studio,  
“Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak, so say goodbye to Claire and In Su, and get ready for the final showdown!”  
Claire and In Su made their bows and exited the stage, and Dean, who was sitting closest to the changing area, though the heard a mirror crash to the ground, and fought to keep his expression neutral.  
Cas and Dean threw Kai Bai Bo to see who went first, Dean won, and chose to perform first, and allow Cas to close the show.  
Dean stepped to center stage and felt the first strains of 'Hallelujah' wash over him. It seemed perfect somehow to end the competition with this number, the one that had started it all that first day in Austin with Sam and Jo. Dean allowed those memories to wash over him, the feeling of family and peace to fill him as he gave his final performance in the competition, and even though a part of him knew he wasn't going to win this, he would always be glad that Sam and Jo had forced him to go to the audition and try this. Dean knew he was more than he had ever been because of this competition and he wouldn't let a little thing like not winning make it, or him, less.  
By the time all of this had finished running through Dean's head the music was ending and Dean threw the crowd a big smile and bowed deeply before sitting down to make way for Cas.  
Cas stepped forward and crossed his wrists over his head waiting for the music to start. Cas somehow knew when Dean chose to perform first that he was telling him it was okay to try, it was okay to win, and Cas wanted to win, more than he wanted his next breath Cas wanted to win. He vowed to himself that if he won he would try to talk SM into signing Dean as well, he would argue that the two would work very well together and would have the making of a new super group, he would do his best not to leave Dean behind. Because deep down he knew; Dean had given this to him, and Cas could imagine no greater gift. Cas had come to Korea and found more than a career, he had found his first ever friend.  
Cas barely noted consciously that the music had ended. He bowed deeply before sitting down, and wondering how he was going to survive the next ten minutes.  
As soon as filming cut away for voting Dean nudged Cas,  
“Its okay, I know this is yours, and you deserve it. It doesn't change anything between us.”  
Cas smiled,  
“You deserve it as well Dean, and if its you, then it won't change anything for me.”  
Dean nodded and they turned back to the audience, both making a point to wave at their fan clubs, making sure the audience was enjoying themselves.  
After what had seemed to be an eternity the host returned to the stage carrying a white envelope and asked Dean and Cas to stand on either side of him,  
“In the closest final vote in K-Pop Star history, we have a new Star! With fifty one percent of the vote the winner is...Castiel Novak!”  
Later on Cas would find that he didn't remember much of what happened next; he remembered being overwhelmed, and crying. He remembered Dean hugging him, and bowing deeply. But not much else. The next thing he really remembered was sitting down with a lawyer to sign the contract and being told that he had two months back in the states to get ready to move to Korea, and realizing that it was really going to happen he was really going to be an idol.  
A week after filming the final episode Cas was walking into the air port with the temporary manager that had been assigned to help him in the beginning by SM Entertainment, he would escort Cas through customs and then Cas would be on his own for two months, until he climbed on a flight to move to Korea for at least the next seven years.  
The only problem that had presented was telling SM where he needed his plane ticket to, he had no clue where he was going back to in the states, everything he owned had come to Korea with him, and it would have been easier to simply call himself moved, but he had to leave the country while SM arranged an entertainer visa for him. So he had to go somewhere.  
It had been the day before Cas needed to tell his temporary manager where he was going when he received an email from Dean, inviting him to come spend as much of the two months he would be in America at the ranch as he liked.  
Cas was overjoyed and sent an enthusiastic agreement to meet Dean in Austin.  
Cas smiled as he walked through the fairly quiet airport, looking forward to seeing Dean, and the ranch. The way Dean had described it, made it sound like a magical place, somewhere Cas could really sort himself out before starting his new career.  
Cas rounded a corner and was shocked to find a gaggle of fans from the show, chanting his names, and holding up posters celebrating his win.   
Cas froze in shock, before flashing the gathered fans a huge grin, and lingering sign autographs, and take some selfcas, before his manager was herding him along with a final wave.  
Cas went through to the gate and found himself alone, he let out a deep sigh, before boarding the plane to Austin.

 

The End

For Now


End file.
